18-Year old girl survives after being shot for marrying for love

HAFIZABAD: An 18-year-old girl, Saba Maqsood, resident of Hafizabad, Punjab, has survived being shot and thrown in a canal by her family for marrying the man she loved, police said, weeks after the ‘honor killing’ of another woman drew worldwide condemnation, ARY News has learnt.

Ali Akbar, a local police official, said Saba Maqsood had been attacked and shot by her father, uncle, brother and aunt and thrown into the waterway in Hafizabad.

“It is an honor-related incident,” Akbar told foreign news agency.

“The victim, Saba … married her neighbor Muhammad Qaiser for love five days ago against the wishes of her family. They took her to Hafizabad, shot her twice and threw her in the canal after putting her in a sack, presuming that she was dead.”

Akbar said Saba had been wounded in her cheek and right hand. Her relatives fled the scene, and after minutes in the water Sabare gained consciousness and managed to struggle to the bank, where two passers-by helped her.

“She is a brave girl. She came out of the canal and approached a nearby fuel station from where a rescue team rushed her to hospital,” he said.
Police official Akbar said he had recorded a statement from Saba in which she blamed her family for the attack.

“I was tortured and shot by my father Maqsood Ahmad, brother Faisal Maqsood, uncle Ashfaq Ahmad and his wife Sajida Bibi,” he quoted her as saying.

Akbar added: “Her condition is out of danger and we have registered a case against her family on her complaint.”

Police had raided her father’s home in the nearby city of Gujranwala but all the suspects had disappeared, he said.