Murder of Ghazala Khan

He left Punjab in 1970.

For three years prior to her murder Ghazala had an intimate relationship with her future husband, Emal Khan.

However, Ghazala, fearing her family's reaction, wished the relationship be kept secret.

She eventually revealed her feelings to her mother, who became outraged and beat her, accompanied by her older brother, Akhtar Abbas, the same man who would later shoot her.

Emal Khan reports that after that incident, Ghazala was locked inside the house and "frozen out" by the rest of her family, all of whom refused to speak to her or eat with her.

Ghazala Khan (Punjabi and ; 29 October 1986 – 23 September 2005) was a Danish woman of Pakistani descent, who was shot and killed in Denmark by her brother after she had married against the will of the family.

The murder of Ghazala had been ordered by her father to save the family honour, making it a so‐called honour killing.

Finally, on 5 September 2005 she managed to escape her family and live with Emal.

In the period up until her murder they lived with various friends in Denmark.

They repeatedly contacted the police for protection, but were denied help.

On 21 September they married at the registry office of the small Danish town of Middelfart.

Two days after the wedding, the Abbas family, pretending to want to come to a peaceful reconciliation, convinced the newlywed couple to attend a meeting at the railway station in Slagelse.

There, Ghazala's brother shot both Ghazala and Emal Khan.

Ghazala was killed instantly.

Emal Khan, shot twice in the abdominal region, survived after a lengthy operation.

Nine people from her family took part in arranging and performing the murder and they were all found guilty by Østre Landsret (the High Court of Eastern Denmark) on 27 June 2006 on counts of murder and attempted murder (of her husband).

This was a ruling of historic importance, the first time in western Europe that such a large number of family members were found guilty in an "honour killing" case.

It is expected that the conviction will serve as precedent throughout Europe for future similar cases and that the sentences will send a strong signal and have a noticeable deterrent effect.

Manu Sareen, a youth worker helping girls facing arranged marriages said: "It will have a preventive effect. Some families may abandon similar plans because of today's ruling."

Gazala Khan's father, Ghulum Abbas, originated from Punjab, Pakistan.

The court case against the nine persons convicted of the murder of Ghazala was initiated on 15 May 2006.

On 26 June, the court's juridical head instructed the jury that all involved could be convicted based on the evidence presented.

On the 27 June, the jury found all of the indicted family members and family friends guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.

On 28 June, the sentences of the nine guilt by the jury was set as follows, with permanent banishment from Denmark being ordered for all convicted persons who were not Danish citizens:

Honour killings of people of Pakistani heritage outside of Pakistan