Pakistan woman stoned by family outside Lahore court

Police said 30-year old Farzana Bibi died on the 
spot after being attacked with bricks and sticks.

Her father handed himself in, but police say 
her brothers and former fiancee...
who also took part in the attack, 
were still free.

Correspondents say hundreds of girls and women in Pakistan 
are killed every year by family members.

However, many more killings are believed to go unreported.

Farzana Bibi's parents accused her husband, Muhammad Iqbal, 
of kidnapping her, and had filed a case against him at the High Court.

However, she testified to police that she had married him of her own accord. 
Police said the couple had been engaged for a number of years.

As she arrived at the court building for a hearing, 
police said about a dozen family members pulled her aside and began 
to attack her and her husband, who managed to escape.

Police official Umer Cheema told Reuters that all the family members 
escaped after the killing, apart from her father, 
who has admitted his role in her death.

The BBC's Shumaila Jaffery says marriage against the wishes 
of relatives is culturally unacceptable in some parts of Pakistan.

Under Pakistani law, the victim's family is allowed to forgive the killer. 
However, in many cases family members are themselves 
responsible for the killing.

bbc.com