ISLAMABAD: Sana Cheema, an Italian-Pakistani woman, was tortured before she was killed, confirmed the Punjab Forensic Laboratory Wednesday. Police have arrested her father and uncle.
The investigation revealed that her neck was broken as she was strangled to death.
On April 25, police exhumed her body to investigate the suspicion that her family killed her after she refused to marry a man of their choice.
In mid-April, social media activists in Pakistan highlighted her case after reports of her death were published. They cited Italian media reports that her family could have been behind it.
Ms Cheema, who lived in Brescia, Italy, was visiting relatives last month. Her family said she died of what they said was chronic ulcers and hypotension, according to police.
Her father, uncle and brother killed to stop her from marrying for love, said the Gujrat police.
Her father, identified as Ghulam Mustafa, declared her death “accidental” and buried her in West Mangowal in Gujrat on April 18, according to police.
Parliament passed legislation against “honor killings” in 2016, introducing tough punishment and removing a loophole in the law that allowed killers to walk free if pardoned by family. The Punjab police said recently the number of cases of honor killing had fallen since the law was introduced. APP