ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Friday urged the Punjab government to take strict legal action against men who are accused of burning a woman alive recently. 

As per local media reports, Kaneez Fatima, a mother of five, was burnt alive allegedly by her husband Muhammad Ashraf and six accomplices in the eastern city of Bahawalnagar on Nov. 30. 

The report said Fatima had married Ashraf, who was already married to another woman, five years ago. It added that Ashraf often fought with Fatima. Police arrested Ashraf and four of his accomplices on Monday and registered a case against all seven suspects under Sections 302 (punishment for murder), 149 (unlawful assembly), and 148 (rioting with a deadly weapon) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

“The federal minister [Tarar] has called on the Punjab government and relevant law enforcement agencies to conduct an immediate and transparent investigation,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights said in a statement.

“The federal minister [Tarar] expressed hope that the Punjab government and law enforcement agencies will take strict legal action against those involved in the incident.”

Women in Pakistan face widespread discrimination, domestic violence and workplace harassment, according to rights groups. Several women are also killed each year in Pakistan for so-called honor by men of their family for choosing to marry of their own accord. 

Pakistan has introduced several policies to strengthen protections for women, but implementation remains uneven. 

In November, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his government was taking legislative, administrative and institutional measures to improve safety and expand access to justice including support centers, dedicated police desks for women, hotlines along with financial and legal assistance for survivors.