THE deaths of three family members from East Lancashire have caused shock and revulsion around the world.

Mohammad Yousaf, his wife Parviaz and their daughter Tania were apparently shot dead by their relatives in a dispute over an arranged marriage.

It is believed they were killed after the breakdown of the marriage between their eldest son and their niece.

But we mustn’t blame these awful deaths on the tradition of arranged marriages.

Marriages all over the world break down for any number of reasons. There can be no excuse for any argument over any marriage, arranged or otherwise, to descend into senseless violence.

The perpetrators must now be caught and held accountable for their grotesque actions.

Let us hope the Yousaf family, both in Nelson and in Pakistan, find the strength to pull themselves through this terrible tragedy.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them.