Sargodha woman dies after brother-in-law allegedly sets her on fire

A 23-year-old woman in Sargodha succumbed to severe burn injuries after her brother-in-law allegedly set her on fire over 'honour,' according to the police.

The police declared the incident an honour killing that occurred in Bhalwal Tehsil of Sargodha.

The woman's husband was employed at a private mill at the time of the attack. Without disclosing specific details about the motive, police stated that the victim's body was 90% burned when she was rushed to the Tehsil hospital, where she later died.

The police apprehended the suspect and launched investigation was launched based on a complaint from the victim's family.

Read: Pakistan records alarmingly low conviction rates in gender-based violence cases: report

Notably, the incident was reported just a week after the Sustainable Social Development Organisation's (SSDO) report stated that Pakistan reported a total of 32,617 cases related to gender-based violence during 2024, including 547 cases of honour killing. 

A maximum number of cases was reported in Punjab, where, with an increase of 0.5%, at least 225 people were killed in the name of honour. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh each reported 134 cases. In Balochistan, 32 cases of honour killing were recorded in 2024. 

Islamabad Capital Territory witnessed a concerning number of GBV cases, with a total of 220 incidents reported. Among these, 22 cases were categorised as honour killings, but none resulted in convictions. The capital also recorded 176 rape cases, with a conviction rate of only 7 cases.