A mother and brothers in Lahore set 17-year-old daughter on fire for marrying on her freewill.
The incident took place in Factory Area where the mother with the help of sons doused her with kerosene and set her up on fire.
Zeenat was shifted to the hospital in critical condition but could not survive the ordeal and succumbed to her wounds. Police have taken the mother of the girl into custody while her brothers have fled from their homes.
Zeenat had solemnized her marriage a week ago with a man named Hassan in her neighborhood, which had displeased her family members.
Her husband, Hassan, said that Zeenat was living with him after the marriage. Recently she had reconciled with her mother who offered to arrange her marriage in a honorable way. Zeenat went to her mother’s house where she was allegedly killed by them.
This is one the several fates which awaits women across Pakistan which exercise freewill in the patriarchal society. Every year thousands of women are violently attacked and beaten, sexually assaulted, doused with acid or set on fire for daring to make her own life decisions.
Domestic violence is an endemic social problem in the society and is seldom seen as a crime by law-enforcement agencies. It is only the most horrific cases which are seen reported and get media attention.
It is estimated that more than 5000 women are killed every due from domestic violence. A report of the Human Rights Watch that around seventy percent of women have suffered abuse at some point in their lives.
A few days ago a teenage girl was also set on fire in Murree by three unknown men for refusing a marriage proposal. (PhotoNews/ARY News)
