A fresh honour killing in Upper Kohistan has triggered more than a murder investigation. Police in the Dasu area are now racing to protect a second potential victim, a man linked to the slain woman, under a local custom that demands his death too. Main Developments Authorities arrested a suspect in connection with the married woman's death, but they refuse to accept the family's version of events. The victim's father filed a first information report claiming a stray bullet fired by her brother accidentally killed her, according to Upper Kohistan district police officer Tahir Iqbal. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Iqbal said investigators suspect the woman was actually killed for honour. The police cannot rely solely on the family's account, he explained, because local tradition known as Chor compels the woman's family to demand that any man linked to her also be killed. Read also: Presidency Upholds HSA VC Dismissal, Rejects Harassment Basis That tradition explains why police are searching for the man reportedly associated with the deceased. Under Chor, a family that kills a woman in the name of honour sends a message to the man's relatives demanding he face the same fate or suffer their wrath. Background The custom's chilling effect on law enforcement is well documented in the region. Iqbal noted that people in Kohistan rarely come forward to register FIRs when honour killings occur under prevailing traditions, fearing the social consequences. Last month, a police constable from Kohistan who had settled in Baffa, Mansehra, was killed alongside a woman in Dasu, the district headquarters, also in the name of honour. That incident underscores the persistent pattern of such violence in the area. Why It Matters Each honour killing exposes a gap between formal law and customary practice in Kohistan. While Pakistan's legal code criminalizes murder, the Chor tradition effectively forces families into a cycle of violence that law enforcement struggles to interrupt. The police response here matters beyond this single case. By treating the family's account with skepticism and actively seeking the male relative, authorities are signaling a shift toward protecting potential victims rather than accepting convenient narratives. What's Next Investigators are now working to determine the exact cause of the woman's death while continuing their search for the man believed to be at risk. Iqbal said police are also involving clerics and elders in efforts to abolish the custom that drives these homicides. Whether this case leads to meaningful change remains an open question, but the investigation's scope suggests authorities are treating it as more than a routine murder inquiry.