Son axes mother to death over domestic dispute in Shangla

In a tragic incident in the Belkanai area of Kana Tehsil, a woman was axed to death by her son after a verbal altercation.

DPO Imran Khan reported that Jehan Bar, the brother of the slain woman, informed the police that his sister Mumtaza Bibi, married to Riaz Muhammad for 22 years, had been experiencing domestic disputes.

According to the complainant, on the day of the incident, Mumtaza Bibi was at home when her son Akhtar Nawaz, instigated by his uncle Muhammad Ayaz, attacked her with an axe, killing her on the spot. The preliminary police investigation revealed that Mumtaza Bibi had asked Akhtar Nawaz not to go out with his uncle, which angered him and led to the fatal attack.

A case under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered at Olandar police station, and both accused have been arrested. Further investigation into the crime is underway.

Despite existing laws, violence against women remains pervasive in Pakistan. Last year, research by Pakistan’s Demographic and Health Survey and the UNFPA revealed that 39 percent of women aged 15 to 49 faced abuse, with 80 percent of married women enduring domestic violence.

The statistics indicate that shouting is the most prevalent form of abuse at 76 percent, followed by slapping at 52 percent, pushing at 47 percent, and kicking at 40 percent.