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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Eleanor Busby

Four cousins shot dead in Pakistan over 'family honour' on orders of village council, police say

Pakistan has one of the highest rates for honour killings in the world and the issue has sparked huge protests ( AFP/Getty Images )

Four cousins were shot dead over "family honour" on the orders of a village council, police in Pakistan say.

The bodies of the victims – two men and two women aged between 18 and 21 – were found on Friday near their remote mountain village in the north-west of Pakistan.

District police chief Raja Abdus Saboor said one man has been arrested for his involvement in suspected "honour killings".

But police officers are still searching for others involved in the murders near Peshawar.

More than 1,000 women are killed every year in the conservative, Muslim-majority country over suspicions they engaged in relationships that went against the family's wishes.

Perceived damage to a family's “honour” can involve eloping and fraternising with men.

In 2012, five women were killed in the same region for cheering male dancers during a wedding.

The "honour killings" are often carried out by relatives and in most cases the victims are women.

With additional reporting by AP

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