PESHAWAR: Pakistani police on Friday identified the suspected killer of a young rights campaigner, who fought for seven years for justice for five possible victims of so-called honor killings, as his nephew.
Mohammed Afzal, 31, also known as Afzal Kohistani, was shot dead on Wednesday in the northwestern district of Abbottabad, area police chief Abbas Majeed said.
“We have arrested an accused from the scene of the crime and recovered a pistol from him,” he said.
He identified the suspect as Afzal’s nephew. The accused was not available for comment and police offered no motive or explanation for his alleged involvement.
Police have registered a case against him recommending he be charged with murder, Majeed said.
More than 1,000 women are killed in Pakistan each year in honor killings. They often occur when a girl refuses an arranged marriage or chooses her own husband. But women have also been killed for talking to men, wearing jeans or leaving abusive homes.
Many are executed on the orders of male tribal councils called jirgas, which have also handed down sentences of rape or mutilation.
Afzal made headlines in 2012, claiming a tribal council had ordered the execution of four women and two of his brothers after a grainy video emerged of the group singing and clapping to music in the remote Pallas Valley in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A fifth girl, 12 years old, was killed for talking to her sister after the sentence had been passed, he said.
While the case was being heard in court in 2013, three of Afzal’s brothers — including the two in the video — were killed. The family’s land was seized and their home burned down.
What happened to the five women remains a mystery. Two out of three investigators at the time concluded after a hurried investigation that they were alive and the matter was dropped.
But a witness told Reuters in 2013 that the women had been killed.
They were never produced before any court, and although investigators were able to take photos and fingerprints of some of them, these were never compared to their national identity cards.
Afzal’s killing sparked online tributes from Pakistan’s small but vocal civil society. Opposition lawmakers Sherry Rehman said she would take up his death in parliament
Young Pakistani seeking justice for ‘honor killings’ shot dead by nephew, police say
Young Pakistani seeking justice for ‘honor killings’ shot dead by nephew, police say
- Activist Afzal Kohistani, was shot dead in Abbottabad on Wednesday
- More than 1,000 women are killed in Pakistan each year in honor killings
Pakistan, Algeria discuss investment cooperation in energy, mining, digital sectors
- MoU planned between Algerian investment agency and Pakistan’s SIFC
- Talks also cover digital governance and smart agriculture collaboration
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Algeria have agreed to pursue closer investment cooperation in energy, mining and digital development, Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) said on Friday, as Islamabad steps up efforts to attract foreign capital and expand international collaborations.
The SIFC is a hybrid civil-military body formed in 2023 to fast-track decisions related to international investment in sectors including tourism, livestock, agriculture and mines and minerals. It has been central to Pakistan’s efforts to attract foreign investment and streamline regulatory approvals amid recurring balance-of-payments pressures.
Federal Secretary SIFC Jamil Qureshi said in a social media post that he met Algeria’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Brahim Romani, and discussed signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen institutional collaboration between the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency and the SIFC.
“Both countries share strong potential to expand cooperation in strategic sectors such as energy, mining, digital transformation, and industrial development,” he said.
“Algeria’s experience in leveraging natural resources through institutions like Sonatrach, developing large-scale mining projects, and promoting industrial localization through partnerships with global firms such as Stellantis offers valuable lessons for Pakistan as we advance priority initiatives including Reko Diq, renewable energy expansion, and EV manufacturing,” he continued.
Qureshi said the two sides also explored collaboration in digital governance and smart agriculture, similar to Algeria’s satellite-driven agricultural and climate monitoring initiatives.
Islamabad has in recent months intensified outreach to Middle Eastern, Central Asian and African partners as it seeks long-term investment rather than short-term financial support.
Pakistan’s economy has stabilized under an International Monetary Fund program, with the government actively seeking foreign investment and collaborations to boost growth, improve exports and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
“We look forward to translating this shared vision into concrete projects that generate jobs, enhance exports, and strengthen Pakistan–Algeria economic partnership,” Qureshi added.
Qureshi did not provide a timeline for signing the proposed memorandum of understanding.
