Musharraf helps threatened woman

Mrs Almani is in fear of her life after marrying her partner

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to protect a woman who faces being murdered by members of her own tribe in an honour killing.

General Musharraf has told the authorities in the province of Sindh to protect Shaista Almani, 22, after she married a man from a different tribe.

Tribal leaders took offence at her choice of husband.

They are said to have ruled that she be killed for insulting their honour - she has since gone into hiding.

The BBC's correspondent in Islamabad, Paul Anderson, says this event highlights the way tribal codes differ from the laws of the land.

Shaista Almani, a college teacher, eloped with Balakh Sher Mahar last August.

They fled from their hometown of Pannu Aqil after they received deaths threats when knowledge of their marriage became public.

The couple had their parents' blessing to wed, but not the blessing of the village elders.

Her husband divorced her to afford her better protection.

She is currently being held in a police station in the Sindh capital, Karachi.

Endemic issue

President Musharraf has vowed to transform Pakistan into a moderate and modern Islamic state.

It is the second time recently that he has become involved in a case involving the treatment of women.

In November he ordered an investigation into the case of a young woman whose body was found in central Pakistan covered with what appeared to be signs of torture.

The 23-year old woman's father later admitted strangling his daughter to death for marrying her lover without permission.

In 2003, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported more than 450 honour killings around the country.

Women targeted in honour killings in Pakistan are largely condemned by family members or village leaders for committing adultery, marrying outside of their parents' consent, failing to meet their partner's dowry demands or otherwise offending Islam.