Girl torched in Murree for refusing marriage proposal dies of injuries

E-Paper | August 12, 2026

ISLAMABAD: A 19-year-old school teacher from Murree, who was tortured and set on fire after refusing a marriage proposal, succumbed to her injuries in Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Wednesday.

The girl was brought to the hospital yesterday and breathed her last at around 10:15AM on Wednesday, a doctor at PIMS confirmed.

She failed to survive the burns that covered over 85 per cent of her body, the doctor said.

The body of the girl has been handed over to her heirs and shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Murree. Police has registered a case, but no arrests have been made as of yet.

It was reported on Tuesday that a group of five men had forcibly entered the victim's house, locked her in a room and beat her up over a marriage dispute.

The victim's uncle, Nasir Abbassi, had stated the family had gone to a social gathering and the girl was alone at home when the incident occurred.

The suspects, after beating the victim, set her on fire and threw her in a ditch behind her residence.

The family, after being informed by a local boy, rushed home and took the girl out of the ditch and took her to a local hospital.

The local hospital was unable to treat her since it lacked the expertise in dealing with burn victims, and she was then transferred to Islamabad's Pims where she breathed her last today

Earlier in May, a 16-year-old girl was strangled and set on fire in Galyat's Makol village after orders given by a local jirga.

Abbottabad police had said a 15-member jirga called by the Makol village councillor Pervez ordered for the deceased to be killed and set on fire as punishment for helping her friend escape the village to marry of her free will.

The girl was taken from her home to an abandoned house where she was drugged, killed, and placed in the back seat of a parked van. The van was then doused with petrol and set on fire.

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KAHN

Jun 01, 2016 05:49pm

Social issues like these are never addressed by religious parties. We can debate and discuss about beating women but when it comes to actual issues of rape, acid attack and child rape, the silence from religious parties are unacceptable.

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rolland

Jun 01, 2016 05:52pm

Sir: Girl burned to death for refusing marriage proposal? Where is the Council for Islamic Ideology? What is their position on this gruesome murder? Rolland

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Sense

Jun 01, 2016 05:54pm

Sometimes the news makes me ashamed for being born in this God given country

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anees from zaida

Jun 01, 2016 05:58pm

Why would the girl be left alone if the 'whole'family went to attend a social gathering? Fishy!

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Bilal

Jun 01, 2016 06:04pm

There should be no mercy on perpetrators.

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Jawaid kamal

Jun 01, 2016 06:06pm

It is high time for Mariam Nawaz to come out of comfort hibernation and do some thing for Pakistani women masses, of course if she really believes in their plight.

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Faiza Salman

Jun 01, 2016 06:07pm

what kind of news are coming out of Pakistan while our neighbour sending rockets to space and exploration. Our people going to our neighbour for liver and other treatment. Our PM going abroad for treatment not a single hospital to take care of him. what are we doing to our daughters.

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The Right Left

Jun 01, 2016 06:06pm

This country will never progress until monsters like this are made to pay ! News like this actually makes one wish we had the "eye for an eye" law and this monsters would be tortured/burned and left to burn to death in a ditch...just as they did with this poor poor girl ! May she rest in peace ! And I cant even begin to think how her parents will suffer for the rest of their lives with the thought of their innocent girl burning to death..! Inhuman horrible monsters !

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Hamaad

Jun 01, 2016 06:09pm

The perpetrators are becoming more daring and ruthless day by day. They need to be caught and punished for their heinous crimes. Why don't we ever read about these criminals being sentenced and punished? Waiting to see light at the end of this long dark tunnel....

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KhalidS

Jun 01, 2016 06:14pm

Religious clerics of our time are deaf dumb and blind when it comes to real issues.

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SadFaces

Jun 01, 2016 06:25pm

People are quick to take action against religious groups but not condemn attack based on cultural tribal norms. Based on the comments in Dawn Pakistan is still under identity crisis, and they are unable to acknowledge if their core values should be religious or on tribal culture.

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Tamil Guru

Jun 01, 2016 06:34pm

Gender equality is a must for any country to be viewed as a modern nation. You cannot have organizations like CII recommending "light beating" of women and gender equality at the same time.

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Shahid

Jun 01, 2016 06:35pm

Speedy conviction are the only thing which can have impact but in Pakistan it would normally go at least 5-10 years before the culprits get punished.

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Ahsan Gul

Jun 01, 2016 06:40pm

We are living in a barbarian culture. "Honor killings, force marriages and throwing acids on people" is that Islam? Where are those mullahas, JI chief and the protectors of Islam and humanity now? Why don't they say anything about this issue

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farhan ahmed

Jun 01, 2016 06:51pm

Feudalism and Uneducated

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Life

Jun 01, 2016 06:53pm

Though horrible and terrifying, I am still trying to be optimistic that the girl will now rest in peace. This guy who would have made her life a hell fire every day and night if she would have married him. She was indeed a brave girl. RIP.

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Devdas

Jun 01, 2016 07:25pm

I am really surprising actually who rules Pakistan..........mullahs??democracy???army???shariat law???..Is it the result of madrasa education???

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nasir siddique

Jun 01, 2016 08:43pm

At least the poor girl stood for her rights and her family backed her. Wish we could do more than just feel sorry and count the victims.

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roxana

Jun 01, 2016 08:44pm

@rolland ....the so called council for Islamic ideology would whole heatedly agree with this .

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sensible indian

Jun 01, 2016 08:46pm

This problem exists in Indian subcontinent... unfortunately education and urbanization is only short term solution...

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Chris Roberts

Jun 01, 2016 08:57pm

The population must rise up against this and mobilise, and not back down until concrete action is taken and proper laws put in place and enforced. This is a call for men and women to band together and stand up for true justice - social media can definitely help in this regard. BE STRONG AND STAND UP! THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!

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Shakil USA

Jun 01, 2016 09:24pm

What a shame and when you read at yahoo such news coming out of Pakistan. What peoples around the world think about us? Where is CII? Women deserve a respect. It should never happen... Period.... Where are our leaders and why so silence....... pretty sad. Please respect women and protect them from these evils.

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Muslim

Jun 01, 2016 09:51pm

@Jawaid kamal seriously! She was always and is still busy embezzling public money to keep it in off shore companies. Are you seriously expecting some good out of her?

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Shafiq

Jun 01, 2016 10:03pm

As a society, we are probably a thousand years behind the developed world.

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Dollar

Jun 01, 2016 10:14pm

We are a great country and have survived for so long due to our great culture and beliefs. India and RAW is responsible for this. They want to destabilize our country by spreading such false news.

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Dollar

Jun 01, 2016 10:17pm

@anees from zaida yes, lets blame the family now. They didnt take care of the girl. Probably they setup the whole thing by given contract killing. We as people are all good and we should not tolerate this

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Priya

Jun 01, 2016 10:48pm

@anees from zaida Maybe she succeeded in convincing her parents that she would be safe by herself. Have you never tried to pull out of some social function your family is dragging you to when you were a kid?

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Priya

Jun 01, 2016 10:51pm

@Ahsan Gul No religion prescribes this. It's a societal issue in the subcontinent.

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Pound

Jun 01, 2016 11:29pm

@Dollar have you descended from sky or may be across the border?

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Jun 01, 2016 11:46pm

What the hell is happening in Pakistan! Have we gone thousands year back in past. Heart breaking.

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Desi Indian

Jun 02, 2016 12:27am

It is great that she got out of her suffering very quickly - in less than 24 hrs. Most likely the perpetrators wont be found and punished. We only hope that they will suffer appropriately for their deeds through divine justice.

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Ahsan Gul

Jun 02, 2016 02:39am

@Priya - I did not mention any religion. But in our society all these issues becomes a part of religion for lack of understanding. Point that I made was for these religious leaders to condemn openly these barbaric actions in our society. Majority of these issues you will see among the illiterates and people who have a very little understanding and these people listen to mullahas and their community's leaders rather anybody else. Thanks for your rebuttal.

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Hassan

Jun 02, 2016 04:54am

@KAHN Where has been the willpower from non-religious parties? Are they not in power right now?

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bitter truth

Jun 02, 2016 07:08am

where is the freedom of expression for female ? in theory there are so many thing written in religious books about women right respect and dignity but in practical even today female are treated like a material in stead of fellow human being. May be only 20% female who are financial independent and came from educated and broad minded families are living the life with freedom .

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Anonymous

Jun 02, 2016 12:13pm

Absolutely disgusting. She was a future educator for our nation. Please think of how different your reaction would be if this was your sister/mother/wife, and how our desensitized state to such horrific acts acts as a hinderance to take constructive action. The fear of retribution for committing reprehensible acts such as this one is an effective deterrent. Until this sense/fear of law and justice is missing in our society such acts will continue to happen.

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