Father, uncle given life terms in 14-year-old's 'honour' killing case

QUETTA: A local court has sentenced the father and maternal uncle of 14-year-old American-Pakistani girl Hira to life imprisonment after convicting them of her murder in Quetta.

Additional District and Sessions Judge-X announced the verdict on Saturday. The court found Anwarul Haq Rajput and Muhammad Tayyab Bhatti guilty and also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 on each of them.

The case drew widespread attention after Hira was killed following her family’s return to Balochistan after spending 25 years in the United States. Relatives had objected to her activity on TikTok, where she posted lifestyle videos showing modern dress and open expression, which the family viewed as conflicting with traditional norms.

Hira was shot dead on a street in Quetta. Her father had initially told investigators that unknown gunmen were behind the killing, but the police probe later challenged that account. Investigators said interrogation and evidence led to both men confessing that they had killed the teenager over her social media presence. The case has since fuelled public debate over honour killings and the safety of young female content creators in Pakistan.