Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called the stoning of a pregnant woman for marrying a man of her own choosing “totally unacceptable.” He is now calling for action against the men who killed Farzana Parveen.
Parveen was engaged to a cousin under an arranged marriage. When she eloped with the man she loved, her father, brothers, cousin and others pelted her with bricks, calling the act an “honor killing.” Parveen died from trauma to the head.
The incident caused outrage in the country because witnesses claim that police were nearby and did not intervene BBC reports.
Parveen’s husband Muhammad Iqbal said, “They watched Farzana being killed and did nothing. We were shouting for help, but nobody listened.”
Another witness said, “Policeman were standing outside the High Court, but no policeman came forward. In spite of the noise, no policeman took the trouble of coming forward to save her.”
Parveen’s father is in custody of authorities. Police chief Mujahid Hussain said, “We arrested a few of them [the attackers] and others are currently being investigated.”
