Father of Pakistani women murdered in so-called 'honor killings' arrested in Terrassa

The father of the two young Pakistani women who lived in Catalonia but were murdered last year in their home country has been arrested in Terrassa, not far from Barcelona, in relation to the events. 

A joint Spanish and Catalan police operation began on Wednesday morning in the Vallès Occidental county city, with officers searching the father's home on carrer de l’Historiador Cardús street and leaving with him in handcuffs at around 10 am. 

This was possible thanks to the cooperation between the Spanish national police and the Punjab police in Pakistan, who arrested seven of the women's relatives, including two brothers and the women's husbands, last year. 

'Honor' killings in Pakistan

Anisa and Arooj Abbas were allegedly tricked into traveling to Pakistan where they were tortured and murdered by their husbands and other family members in so-called 'honor' killings.

According to the La Vanguardia newspaper, the women in their early 20s were forced to marry their cousins a year prior and were strangled and shot dead after announcing their intention to divorce in order to remarry in Catalonia.