A 19-year-old woman in Pakistan was burned to death for refusing a marriage proposal in an ‘honour killing’.
Maria Saqadat was beaten, covered in petrol and set alight by a group of men at her house.
The Independent report that she was taken to hospital in Islamabad with 85% burns following the attack in the town of Murree, but died of her injuries on Wednesday.
Her aunt, Aasia had said that the owner of a school Maria worked in wanted her to marry his son, who was twice her age and had a daughter.
Maria’s father refused the proposal and the man’s family took revenge with the attack on Maria.
Her uncle added:
“He was divorced and twice her age, so she refused the proposal and left her job when they pursued her time and again… eventually they attacked her”.
She gave a statement before her death in hospital naming the school principal and four others as her attackers.
Almost 1,100 women were murdered in “honour killings” in Pakistan last year, but this could be higher due to many families not reporting incidences.
