A woman and her three-year-old daughter were killed in Mansehra district on Tuesday on the pretext of an “honour killing” for conducting a freewill marriage in 2021, officials said.

The incident occurred in the Phulra area of Mansehra district where the woman and her minor daughter were killed inside their home. The woman had reportedly tied the knot against her family’s will through court marriage in 2021.

Mansehra District Police Officer (DPO) Shafiullah Gandapur confirmed the incident to Dawn.com and said efforts were underway to apprehend the suspects.

He said their bodies had been shifted to a nearby hospital where an autopsy was being conducted, while police teams have been dispatched to the area where the incident occurred to track down the suspects.

The DPO said that according to initial reports, the victim tied the knot with Roshan of Bagal tribe, which triggered a clash between the two families.

Police have lodged an FIR on the complaint of the victim’s mother.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nasir Mahmood Sati said a “heartbreaking incident took place today in the backdrop of long-standing enmity in village Nallah under Phulra police station limits, in which a woman and her young daughter were brutally murdered,” according to a statement from the office of the Regional Police Officer (RPO).

Taking immediate notice of the incident, DIG Sati issued orders to DPO Gandapur for the immediate arrest of the suspects.

Special teams consisting of heavy police personnel have been formed which are conducting extensive search operations in the entire area, under the direct supervision of DPO Gandapur, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Oghi Nazir Khan, DSPs, SHOs and other officers.

Police officials said intelligence-based operations are underway to ensure the early arrest of the suspects.

“Honour” killings refer to the murder of individuals, predominantly women and girls, by family members who believe the victim has brought dishonour upon the family.

In Pakistan, ‘honour’ killings continued to claim the lives of women throughout 2024, perpetuated by deeply ingrained societal beliefs about family dignity and shame.

Data from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) shows that in 2024, ‘honour’ killings continued to be a serious issue across Pakistan, with particularly high figures in Sindh and Punjab.

From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to ‘honour’ crimes in the country. The previous two years also saw a consistent rise in murders related to the so-called ‘honour’. In 2023, the country saw a total of 490 ‘honour’ killing incidents taking place, while in 2022, as many as 590 people lost their lives to ‘honour’ killings.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that up to 5,000 women are killed each year in the name of ‘honour’. Experts believe that many ‘honour’ killings are not reported at all or are classified as suicides or accidents.