A man who recently relocated his family to Pakistan from the US has admitted to murdering his teenage daughter because he disapproved of her TikTok clips, police informed.
Anwar ul-Haq was charged with homicide after he confessed to shooting his daughter Hira in the southwestern metropolis of Quetta on Tuesday. He initially claimed to investigators that unknown individuals were responsible for the shooting.
The father, who holds US nationality, stated he found his daughter’s uploads “inappropriate.”
Authorities said they were examining all aspects, including the likelihood of an honor killing, which is not rare in the country.
Hundreds of individuals – the majority of them women – lose their lives in so-called honor killings in Pakistan annually, according to human rights organizations. These murders are typically committed by relatives who claim to be safeguarding their family’s dignity.
In the case of Hira Anwar, who is around 13 or 14 years old, a police representative mentioned her family “objected to her attire, way of life, and social interactions.”
The family resided in the US for 25 years, and Hira began sharing content on TikTok even before they shifted back to Pakistan.
Investigators stated they were in possession of her mobile, which remains locked.
Her father’s brother-in-law was also detained in connection with the crime, police reported.
If it is determined to be an honor killing and they are found guilty, the men will receive a compulsory life imprisonment – an amendment made to Pakistani law in 2016. Earlier, they could evade incarceration if forgiven by the victim’s family.
In 2023, an Italian tribunal sentenced a Pakistani couple to life in prison for murdering their 18-year-old daughter because she rejected an arranged marriage.
The year prior, the sibling of Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was exonerated of her murder on appeal. He had previously been given a life sentence after admitting to the 2016 killing, asserting it was because the star had tarnished the family’s reputation.
