Iqbal Bibi
Age: -
Set on fire: before October 13, 2025
Residence: Fida Town, Mailsi, Vehari District, Punjab Province
Origin: Pakistan
Perpetrator: son-in-law
In October 2025, in the Pakistani city of Mailsi, a woman, Iqbal Bibi, was doused with gasoline and set on fire by her son-in-law. She later died from her injuries. The attack occurred after his wife, Sanober Mai, refused to return to her husband.
According to the police and local media, Sanober had left her husband Amir after repeated domestic abuse and had returned to her parental home in Fida Town, a neighborhood in Mailsi. Amir attempted several times to force her to return, but she consistently refused. During his last visit, he lost self-control, directed his anger at his mother-in-law, and set her on fire before fleeing.
Iqbal Bibi suffered severe burns and was taken to the hospital by emergency services, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Sanober filed a complaint with the police, stating that her husband blamed her mother for the breakdown of their marriage. She also reported that Amir had repeatedly abused her and threatened her life. The police have opened an investigation. Amir remains at large.
The murder in Mailsi once again highlights how domestic violence and patriarchal control can escalate into deadly attacks in the context of so-called honor or family revenge. The belief that a woman is obligated to obey her husband—and that her refusal constitutes a humiliation for the man or his family—remains a deeply entrenched societal issue in parts of South Asia.
According to women’s rights organizations, hundreds of women in Pakistan fall victim to such attacks every year. Many perpetrators go unpunished due to societal pressure, weak legal protection, and the lack of safe shelters for women leaving violent relationships.
