A pregnant singer was gunned down in Pakistan's southern Sindh province during a wedding ceremony Tuesday night after she refused to stand up on the gunman's request.
The 24-year-old singer identified as Samina Samoon was a famed Sindhi artist. She was performing at the event when a guest, identified as Tariq Jatoi, asked her to stand up and dance with him. While Samoon decided to stand up and perform, she refused to dance on his request, Geo News reported.
Jatoi, who was said to be drunk, pulled out his gun and shot her. Samoon was taken to Chandka Medical College Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
A video of the incident has surfaced online that shows the singer standing and singing while the accused and others tossed money at her. The video, which was shared on Twitter by one Islamabad-based human rights activist Kapil Dev, shows the accused killing her.
Abdullah Sheikh, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) for Larkana, told the publication that the killer has been arrested and they have recovered the weapon used to kill the singer.
Her husband Ashiq Ali said that Samoon was six months pregnant. He said the accused should be charged with a double homicide for killing his wife and unborn child.
"Samina declined to dance because she was pregnant, her refusal enraged the accused who then killed her," Ary News quoted the singer's husband Ashiq Ali as saying.
Her funeral prayers were offered at Jinnah Bagh. Several artists, including Shabana Sindhu, Kanwal, Ashiq Samo and Aziz Sangi protested in front of SSP office demanding justice. They blamed the police for arresting and torturing them instead of taking action against the accused, the Daily Times reported.
