A mother of seven children was shot dead allegedly by her husband in an ‘honour’ killing case in Chakiwara area of Lyari on Tuesday, according to police.

“Bakhtawar, 40, was shot and killed by her husband at Miranaka [in Chakiwara, Lyari],” Chakiwara Station House Officer (SHO) Sajid Dharejo told Dawn.com.

“The husband was arrested, and the pistol used in the murder was recovered,” he added.

The police official said that the woman was asleep inside their home near Koyla Godam, Street-7, at around 1:30am when the suspect fired four shots. She sustained three bullet wounds and died on the spot.

“The murder appears to be an outcome of ‘honour’ killing,” Dharejo continued.

During the initial probe, the arrested man told the police that his wife used to talk with a man on her cell phone.

He had warned her not to do it, but she did not give any heed to his warning, the husband claimed.

The SHO said the husband is a labourer and hailed from Mansehra. The body of the victim was shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for legal formalities.

In Pakistan, ‘honour’ killings continued to claim the lives of women throughout last year, perpetuated by deeply ingrained societal beliefs about family dignity and shame.

Data from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan shows that in 2024, ‘honour’ killings continued to be a serious issue across Pakistan, with particularly high figures in Sindh and Punjab. From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to ‘honour’ crimes in the country.

Last month, two men were shot dead while a third one was injured over ‘honour’ in Karachi’s Manghopir area, police had said.

Also last month, a man was killed over so-called honour in Sharifabad, according to police.