True Crime

Dateline: Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi District, Pakistan By Michelle Zeah School Teacher Injured in Alleged Acid Attack by Wife Following Domestic Dispute A private school teacher sustained injuries after an alleged acid attack in the Matua area of Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi District, in an incident that has once again raised serious concerns regarding the accessibility of corrosive substances and the continuing occurrence of acid-related violence in Pakistan. According to police reports, the victim, Kamran Tanveer, was immediately transported to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Gujar Khan, after the attack. Medical authorities confirmed that he suffered injuries from the corrosive substance but remains out of danger. Law enforcement officials registered a criminal case and arrested the woman accused of carrying out the attack. Investigators have launched a formal inquiry to determine the exact circumstances and motive behind the incident. Background of the Dispute According to the victim's st...

Dateline: Cardiff, Wales | 5 June 2026 By Michelle Zeah, United Kingdom The body of 18-year-old Saman Abbas was discovered in a farmhouse in northern Italy on 22 November 2022, more than a year after she disappeared. Her death was later confirmed to be an honour killing. Her father, Shabbar Abbas, was arrested in Pakistan and extradited to Italy to stand trial. Shabbar Abbas and his wife, Nazia Shaheen, were living in Pakistan before moving to Italy in 2016 after receiving a work opportunity through relatives. They relocated with their family, including their son and daughter, as well as other relatives. After settling in Italy, Saman gradually embraced aspects of Western culture. She stopped wearing the hijab and sought greater independence, which created tensions within her conservative family. A few years later, Saman began a relationship with a young Pakistani man named Fahad. Aware of her family's strict views, she knew they would strongly oppose the relationship. Tensions esc...

Dateline: Karachi, Pakistan | 4 June, 2026 By Michelle Zeah KARACHI: In a shocking and tragic incident that has sent waves of grief through the local community, a middle-aged man identified as Aslam, a father of four, has been accused of brutally murdering his two daughters during the night in Karachi. According to initial police reports, Aslam lived with his family in modest circumstances and was the sole breadwinner of the household. His family consisted of his wife, Bibi Jan, an adult son, a married daughter, and two younger daughters who spent much of their time under the care of their grandmother. Family members told investigators that the household began to deteriorate following the death of Aslam's wife after a prolonged illness. Relatives alleged that her death marked a turning point in his life, leaving him emotionally isolated and financially unstable. Investigators claim that Aslam subsequently developed a gambling addiction and accumulated debts reportedly exceeding...

Aurat March, an annual march to raise voices, to help silent echoes reach ears, a march that fights for women’s rights, and a march that supports victims. Held every year on 8th March, International Women’s Day, Aurat March highlights issues of discrimination and violence against women in Pakistan. One of the most famous and controversial aspects of this march is its slogans. These slogans often challenge the high-standard values set by Pakistani society for women and question the expectations placed on them to become the “ideal” domestic woman. Polygamy, in different cultures and religious interpretations, is considered a traditional practice. Polygamy is when a man has more than one wife at a time. If a woman has more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry. However, in Pakistan, polygamy is legal, and it is sometimes used as a tool to suppress women. According to the law, a husband must seek permission from his first wife before marrying again, and if he does not take per...

Suppression of women in Pakistan can be done through various tactics. Some use the word “honor,” some use religion, and some use customs. Some blackmail them; if they go against the values, she would be labelled as characterless, and the term used in Pakistan is “Kari.” “Kari” is an old term used to blame women for adultery, and later such accusations can lead to punishment in the form of so-called honor killings. There is no fixed rate of “Kari” cases in Pakistan, but around 400–500 honor killings are officially reported each year. However, human rights activists estimate the real number may be closer to 1000 deaths per year because many cases are hidden or not reported. The term “Kari” and related acts are most commonly reported in the Sindh province of Pakistan, where each year a number of women are murdered on the accusation of adultery. Around 70 percent of women are victims of “Kari” every year in Sindh. Sometime in 2010, there was a landlord in Sindh, often known as “Sain” or tr...

Over the four decades, Pakistan has witnessed major moral and ethical changes regarding women’s rights. Before the late 1970s, specifically before the era of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, women had greater political influence and more fundamental rights. However, near the end of the 1970s, Pakistan entered a period of military rule that became known for Islamic conservatism. General Zia introduced legislative and social changes in Pakistan. Women were expected to cover themselves with veils, and restrictions were imposed on women working in certain sectors of government. Throughout his rule from 1977 to 1988, the number of female prisoners increased significantly, and many women were accused of adultery. These were the ideological seeds planted into the mindset of Generation X, and their influence can still be seen in Pakistani society today. In June 2002, Mukhtar Mai from Muzaffargarh, Punjab, Pakistan, was gang raped as a punishment imposed by an unofficial tribal tribunal known as a ...

By Mishal Zia | 09 May, 2026 | United Kingdom, Wales, as a crime reporter, journalist, and human rights activist, I have come across many heartbreaking cases in which serious crimes continue to repeat themselves despite devastating consequences. Among the most ignored and underreported crimes is child marriage, a practice that destroys childhoods, damages mental and physical health, and often traps young girls in cycles of abuse and fear for the rest of their lives. In many societies, child marriage is still defended as a “tradition” or “family matter” rather than recognised for what it truly is: a violation of human rights. Across different regions of the world, thousands of girls are forced into marriages before they are emotionally, physically, or mentally prepared for adulthood. Many lose access to education, independence, healthcare, and the right to choose their own future. According to UNICEF⁠, millions of girls worldwide are married before the age of 18 every year. In some coun...

By Mishal Zia  March 7th, 2026     In many parts of Pakistan, a troubling pattern persists. Whenever the Taliban are  criticized , a segment of the public quickly rises to defend them. The reasoning is often strikingly simple: the Taliban claim to follow Islam; therefore, they must be righteous.   But this raises an uncomfortable question. Can violence, repression and fear truly represent a religion that speaks of justice,  mercy  and compassion?     In deeply religious societies, faith is closely intertwined with identity. In Pakistan, where religion shapes both personal and political narratives, groups that frame themselves as defenders of Islam often receive instinctive sympathy. For some, the Taliban are not merely a political or militant force; they are seen as religious reformers  attempting  to establish what supporters perceive as an “Islamic system ”.     This  perception  persists despite decades of doc...