Lahore:
In yet another case of honour killing in Pakistan, two brothers brutally murdered their mother and two teenage step sisters with an axe here today.
Senior police officer Ejaz Shafi said the two brothers, identified as Shahzad and Asif, have confessed to their crime, saying they had killed their mother, Sughra Bibi, 50, step sisters Amina, 17 and Muqadas, 19, for their "loose character".
"Both the accused surrendered themselves to police after killing their mother and two sisters with an axe in Township residential area," he said.
Shafi said a murder case has been registered against the two accused on the complaint of their father Shahbaz Ahmed.
The accused alleged in their police complaint that their two sisters had "friendship" with two boys of the locality.
"We had given a sound thrashing to one sister after she was caught talking to his boy-friend on the phone earlier. However, instead of refraining our sisters from wrongdoing, our mother was providing them protection. Besides, we also suspected on our mother's character," the accused alleged.
The accused further said they had no regret to kill their mother and sisters as they were a "slur on the family's honour".
Shahbaz Ahmed said his sons were drug addicts and they killed their mother and sisters for not getting money for their addiction.
"I was not home when the incident took place. I want my sons to be hanged for brutally killing my beloved daughters and wife," he said.
Honour killing incidents in Pakistan have seen a alarming rise in recent times and as much as 860 women were killed here in the name of honour last year.
In May this year, a 25-year-old woman was stoned to death outside the Lahore High Court by more than two dozen people, including her father and brothers, for marrying against her family's wishes while another young woman was stoned to death in Lahore in September by her brother for having an affair.
In most cases the culprits escaped punishment after being pardoned by complainants who happened to be their close relatives.