The murder of a Pakistani-Australian woman by her in-laws in Sargodha earlier this month has left Australia’s Pakistani community in shock. Police are currently investigating the case.
The slain woman was identified as Sajida Tasneem, and was the mother of three children. She was also a civil engineer at the NED University. She later worked as an assistant air traffic controller with the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan.
The case was registered after Sajida Tasneem’s murder and the main suspect, her father-in-law Mukhtar Ahmed, was arrested. Three more suspects, Sajida’s mother-in-law and two relatives, are still at large.
At the behest of her husband, Sajida had left Australia and relocated back to Pakistan. However, she had wanted to go back to Australia, which was opposed by her father-in-law, who had confiscated the passports of her and her three children.
Sajida’s father had told the police that her father-in-law Mukhtar Ahmad had been present at the crime scene at the time of her murder. He said when he went to see her, he found Ahmad hurling abuses at her, and had taken her to a bathroom.
Ahmad had stuffed a cloth in Sajida’s mouth and was holding an axe over her head. At the objection of Sajida’s father, Ahmad said that he would kill anyone who tried to interfere. He allegedly hit Sajida on the head with the axe, and she died instantly.
Sajida’s father has appealed to the Australian embassy, and is being provided consular assistance. All three of Sajida’s children are residing with her parents in Faisalabad now.
Just last month, two Spanish Pakistani sisters were slain in the name of ‘honor’ by their brothers, uncles, husbands and father-in-laws.
