An 18-year-old woman was shot dead allegedly by her cousin on Wednesday in a village in Sindh's Qambar-Shahdadkot district in an incident of suspected 'honour killing', police told Dawn.

Qubo Saeed Khan Station House Officer (SHO) Wazeer Ali Bhutto said the suspected killer had opened fire on his 18-year-old cousin, who died instantly, this morning in a village in Qubo Saeed Khan town.

An initial investigation revealed that the woman ─ a member of the Magsi tribe ─ was single, and that the accused had allegedly killed her as he had "suspicions about her character", the SHO said.

Locals claimed the murder was an incident of karo kari, he added.

A manhunt for the accused ─ who is still at large ─ is underway, the SHO said.

The body of the woman was taken to a nearby hospital for autopsy. An initial examination confirmed that she died on the spot of gunshot wounds.

The SHO said that if the parents of the victim do not come forth to lodge a First Information Report in the case within the next two days, he would file a case himself on behalf of the state.

Mohammad Saleem Jarwar, an official of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said that it is a matter of deep grief and sorrow that an innocent woman was killed as the world celebrates International Women's Day.

Jarwar deplored that despite stronger legislation against honour killing being introduced, reports of such cases ─ particularly from upper and central Sindh ─ were on the rise.