A man stabbed a woman to death in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Rahim Yar Khan on Monday night before fleeing the crime scene.

The accused, identified as Muneeb, had reportedly picked up his cousin, Shamim, from the hospital where she worked as a midwife under the pretense of dropping her home, but instead took her to a different house where he was employed as a chauffeur.

The assailant, according to the first information report, purportedly tried to drag his cousin into his employer's empty house but was met with resistance.

When his cousin cried for help and resisted the assault, he chased her down and stabbed her repeatedly.

The victim, a single mother of one, died on the spot.

CCTV footage of the incident shows that several passers-by were in the vicinity of the incident. The FIR, filed by the victim's brother, states that the passers-by wanted to intervene but were warned to not come near by the alleged murderer, who discouraged any rescue attempts by brandishing his knife.

The assailant, after committing the crime, escaped on his motorcycle.

The victim's brother stated in the FIR that his family had recently refused the murderer the victim's hand in marriage.

Rahim Yar Khan police spokesperson Zeeshan Randhawa told Dawn that raids are being conducted to arrest the accused.

A postmortem examination of the deceased is being conducted, Randhawa added.