An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan today sentenced to death the father, 2 brothers and former husband of a pregnant woman, who was stoned to death by them outside Lahore High Court in a case of 'honour killing'.
Judge Haroon Latif awarded death penalty to Farzana Parveen's father Muhammad Azeem, brother Muhammad Zahid, former husband Mazhar Iqbal and cousin Jumah Khan.
A fine of Rs 1 Lakh has also been imposed on each of them.
Ghulam Ali, another cousin of her, has been awarded 10 years imprisonment.
Farzana, 25, was killed on May 27 when her father, former husband, 2 brothers and some other relatives attacked her on Fane Road near the court with bricks.
She was going to the Lahore High Court along with her husband Muhammad Iqbal, 45, to attend hearing in an abduction case.
Farzana, of Nankana Sahib district, some 80 kilometers from Lahore, was pregnant at that time.
She died on the spot while Iqbal escaped unhurt. The killing sparked a countrywide debate demanding strict laws and their implementation to check the 'honour killing'.
The Pakistani prime minister, the chief justice and even foreign countries like the US and the UK condemned her murder.
The government had vowed for speedy justice in this case. Farzana's family had accused Iqbal of kidnapping her. It also claimed that Farzana was already married to her cousin Mazhar and Iqbal had lured her into second marriage without getting divorce from the first husband which is "illegal and un-Islamic."
Iqbal had killed his 1st wife some 6 years ago but was freed from jail after his son, the complainant in the case, pardoned him.
Advocate Mansoor Rehman Afridi, a counsel for the accused, told reporters they would file a review petition in the superior court against the verdict of the ATC.
The honour killing incidents are on the rise in Pakistan especially in Punjab, a province of 90-million. Last year, 870 women were killed in the name of honour here.
Source: Economic Times, November 19, 2014
