A man who recently moved his family back to Pakistan from the US has confessed to killing his teenage daughter, Hira, after disapproving of her TikTok videos, police have reported.
Anwar ul-Haq was charged with murder after he admitted to shooting his daughter in Quetta on Tuesday. Initially, he claimed that unidentified men were responsible for the shooting.
Haq, who holds US citizenship, stated he found his daughter’s posts “objectionable.”
Police are considering all possibilities, including the chance of an honour killing, which is common in Pakistan. Honour killings, typically carried out by relatives defending the family’s honour, result in hundreds of deaths, mainly of women, each year.
In the case of Hira, aged between 13 and 14, police said her family had issues with her dress, lifestyle, and social interactions. The family had lived in the US for 25 years, and Hira began posting on TikTok before they moved to Pakistan.
Authorities are examining her phone, which is locked. Her father’s brother-in-law was also arrested in connection with the crime.
If confirmed as an honour killing, the men could face a mandatory life sentence, following a law change in 2016. Prior to that, offenders could avoid prison if pardoned by the victim’s family.
In recent years, there have been similar high-profile cases in Pakistan, including the murder of Qandeel Baloch, a social media star, by her brother.
