A 21-year-old newlywed woman was shot dead allegedly by a man whose marriage proposal she had rejected three years ago in Pakistan's Punjab province, police said on Monday. The incident occurred on Saturday in Gujranwala district, about 80 kilometres from Lahore.

According to the police, Saba Tufail was returning home with her husband after attending their reception on Saturday when the incident took place.

Girl challenged his honour by marrying another man

The couple was travelling in their car near the Samanabad area of the district when two motorcycle-borne men intercepted them. Police said one of the attackers, identified as Sarfraz, stopped the vehicle and confronted Saba, allegedly telling her that "she was his love and that she had challenged his honour by marrying another man".

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He then shot her before fleeing the scene. Saba was rushed to a hospital, where she succumbed to a bullet wound in her chest, they added.

Saba's family told police that around three years ago, Sarfraz's family had approached them with a marriage proposal. The proposal was rejected because the two families belonged to different communities.

Police said Saba and Sarfraz had worked at the same factory three years ago and had been in a relationship. The police launched an investigation to arrest the main suspect.

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Not the first time

Earlier last year, Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old Pakistani TikTok influencer, was tragically shot dead at her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13. Known for her powerful voice on women’s rights, cultural pride, and youth education, she had nearly 5,00,000 followers on TikTok and a growing presence on Instagram. Her last video, showing her joyfully celebrating her birthday just a day before the attack, now serves as a heartbreaking reminder of her lost potential.

Police say Sana was shot twice at point-blank range by a 22-year-old male relative who had visited her home. Islamabad Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi confirmed that the man had spent hours loitering outside her residence before carrying out the murder. “It was a case of repeated rejections,” Rizvi said. “The boy was trying to reach out to her time and again.” Authorities are treating the case as a possible honour killing.

(With inputs from agency)