A 17-year-old Pakistani bride, Khanzadi Lashari, has been killed by her groom on their wedding night for ‘not being a virgin’. Although the police in Jacobabad say the murder is a highly suspected case of ‘honor killing’, the information that the bride was killed by the groom who is now on the run hasn’t been verified. The deceased married her cousin Qalandar Bux Khokhar, the night before her lifeless body was found by family members.
The Pakistan Express Tribune reports that Khanzadi’s mother had called the police after she realised there was no response coming from the newlyweds’ apartment the morning after the wedding. The policemen and the bride’s brother, Ali Sher Lashari, forcefully gained entery into the house only to discover Khanzadi’s lifeless body on the bed, her new husband was nowhere to be found.
Ali Sher lodged an FIR against Qalandar Bux and his four brothers, accusing them of killing his sister by strangulating to death. The victim’s mother told reporters that Qalandar Bux and Khanzadi were cousins and the marriage took place with their consent.
Sources in the area claimed the groom killed his bride because “not a virgin”, while others claim the couple had a heated argument regarding a delay in the wedding ceremony due to certain customs. The police say arrests are yet to be made.