Summary
- If the alleged motive is confirmed, the killing will expose a disturbing reality: the use of violence to impose personal beliefs on girls, even at the cost of their lives.
- If the killing was linked to the girl’s clothing, it would reflect a deeply troubling belief that personal authority matters more than a child’s right to live.
- Girls are not possessions whose appearance must satisfy the demands of relatives.
October 17, 2026
A 13-year-old girl was allegedly shot dead by her paternal cousin in Mianwali over a dispute reportedly linked to her not wearing a hijab. If the alleged motive is confirmed, the killing will expose a disturbing reality: the use of violence to impose personal beliefs on girls, even at the cost of their lives.
The incident took place in Mauza Baitian, within the jurisdiction of Sadar Police Station, when the girl reportedly went to a nearby shop. According to initial reports, her cousin stopped her in a crowded bazaar, objected to her clothing and allegedly fired seven bullets at her before fleeing. She died at the scene.
A public place that should have been safe for a child became the site of a brutal killing. The tragedy raises an urgent question about how anyone can claim the right to dictate what a girl wears, let alone use a weapon to enforce that demand.
Police and Elite Force personnel reached the scene, and the girl’s body was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital for a post-mortem examination. District Police Officer Waqar Azeem Kharal ordered the immediate arrest of the suspect. Special teams have been formed to trace him, while a murder case has been registered on the complaint of the victim’s father.
The alleged motive has not yet been officially confirmed. Local reports suggest that the suspect had previously warned the family over the hijab issue, but investigators must establish the facts before any conclusion is reached.
That caution, however, should not weaken the wider demand for justice. If the killing was linked to the girl’s clothing, it would reflect a deeply troubling belief that personal authority matters more than a child’s right to live. Religious belief cannot be used to justify murder, and family relationships cannot provide cover for violence.
Girls are not possessions whose appearance must satisfy the demands of relatives. Their safety, dignity and right to grow up without fear must be protected by families, communities and the state.
The police must arrest the suspect, conduct a fair investigation and ensure that the case proceeds through the courts.
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