By Farid Tanha
A man axed his wife to death by chopping off her fingers and toes in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, an official said on Monday.
The killer, who managed to flee the area after perpetrating the murder, was arrested late on Sunday and confessed to his crime during preliminary interrogations.
Acting police chief, Col. Mohammad Kabir, told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident took place on the outskirts of Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan.
"My spouse would frequently taunt with being jobless. She would often brand me as a sponger" the police chief quoted Niamatullah as saying. "He also tried to kill all his family members, but could not succeed."
The couple were relatives, having entered a badal marriage. They were unhappy with their married life, said Wahiduddin Irghawan, the regional head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
Badal marriage is a kind of package deal in which a brother and sister from one family marry a sister and brother from another.
Over the past six months, 27 cases of violence against women have been registered in Badakhshan, according to the rights activist. The cases include murder, beating, forced marriage and elopement.
Zofanoon Hassam, head of the women's affairs department, linked violence against women to poverty, illiteracy and bad traditions. Resolving such problems needed consistent efforts, she said.