Gujrat police have arrested six suspects involved in the murder of two Pakistani-Spanish sisters within 48 hours, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

According to the police, the sisters’ brother and uncle were among the suspected murderers.

Both girls, 21-year-old Urooj Abbas and 24-year-old Aneesa Abbas, had returned to Pakistan from Spain a day before being murdered.

The reason behind their murder was their reluctance to take their husbands in Pakistan to Spain.

It is learnt that both sisters allegedly wanted to divorce their husbands and marry the men of their choice.

“Gujrat police have nabbed six suspects and launched investigation,” said District Police Officer (DPO) Attaur Rehman.

A police spokesman earlier told AFP both the sisters were seeking separation from their Pakistani husbands and were lured back from Spain to Gujrat where they were strangled and shot on Friday night.

"The family created a story to convince them to come to Pakistan for a couple of days," said Gujrat police spokesman Nauman Hassan.

"Preliminary investigations show this is a case of honour killing, but it is still developing and the investigation is ongoing," he added.

Police also said the women were being "pressurised" by their spouses -- who were also their cousins -- to aid their emigration to Spain.

The Spanish embassy in Pakistan could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Punjab CM and IGP take notices

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz took notice of the murders and sought a report from the provincial police chief.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan has also taken notice of the murder of the two sisters in Gujrat and demanded a report from RPO Gujranwala.

The IGP directed DPO Gujrat to inquire into every aspect of the incident. Rao Sardar said that DPO Gujrat should keep close contact with the affected family and no effort should be spared for immediate delivery of justice to the bereaved. The IGP said that the incidents of rape and murder of women were not acceptable and the ruthless accused would be punished.

Swathes of Pakistani society still operate according to strict codes of "honour" that radically undermine women's rights.

Entitlements to education, reproductive rights and the choice of who to wed are all curtailed by the practice.

There were more than 450 honour killings last year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Men are sometimes targeted but the majority of victims are women and it is suspected that many cases go unreported.

Reporter: Rana Shehzad