In a tragic incident in Multan, Professor Feroza Jameel was fatally shot by a hired assassin after she denied her husband’s request for a second marriage.
Police reports indicate that her husband orchestrated the murder, contracting a killer for Rs1.5 million and attempting to disguise the crime as a robbery to evade suspicion.
The murder occurred while the family was travelling by car. The hired killer intercepted them and fatally shot Professor Jameel.
Following thorough investigations, police arrested the husband, the hired killer, and two other accomplices. The husband confessed to arranging the payment with the killer, providing Rs200,000 upfront with the promise of the remaining Rs1.3 million upon completion of the crime.
This case highlights the severe issue of gender-based violence in Pakistan, exposing the threats many women endure.
Gender-based violence remains a pervasive problem affecting millions of women nationwide, manifesting as domestic violence, acid attacks, sexual assault, or technology-facilitated abuse. This violence is especially prevalent in rural and less progressive areas.
According to a joint report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women published in November 2024, around 85,000 women and girls were murdered globally last year. The report found that approximately 60% of these victims, over 51,000, were killed by a partner or relative. This equates to 140 women killed daily, or one every 10 minutes, often by those closest to them.
The report starkly noted, “The home remains the most dangerous place for women and girls in terms of the risk of lethal victimization.”
