Aqsa Parvez, 16, was strangled in her family home in Mississauga, Ont., in December 2007. (Facebook)

The murder of 16-year-old Aqsa Parvez, which followed clashes over the girl's rejection of some of the family's Pakistani and Muslim traditions, has sparked concern about resources to help immigrants adapt.

Parvez was strangled in her family home in Mississauga, Ont., in December 2007.

Her father, Muhammad Parvez, and brother Waqas Parvez, 26, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Tuesday.

They were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

Superior Court Justice Bruce Durno described Aqsa as a teen facing the challenges of adjusting to life in a society her parents, who immigrated from Pakistan and are practising Muslims, were not raised in.

Anwar Jan, the mother of Aqsa Parvez, leaves a Brampton, Ont., courthouse after hearing the sentences handed down to her husband and son for her daughter's slaying. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Her father's defence lawyer, Joseph Neuberger, said the details of the case indicate that immigrants need more help adjusting to life in Canada.

"We have to do a good job in reaching out to these families," said Neuberger. "Not only inviting them into a multicultural society, but I think we have to spend more time on social inclusion. What can we do to help these families adjust?"

Lubna Tahir, who took in Aqsa Parvez when the teen's home life became difficult, said more needs to be done to help young immigrants cope with cultural differences.

"If back home there's no co-education trend when girls start studying with boys, how [do they] deal with it? How [do they] accept that?" Tahir said. "[How do we] create further understanding between parents, kids, the schools and parents."

Tahir said she remembers Aqsa Parvez, the youngest of eight children, as a good kid who was "full of life."

According to court documents, Aqsa rebelled against her family by rejecting to wear traditional garments, such as the hijab head covering worn by some Muslim women; striving to have the freedoms that other girls she knew had; and wanting to acquire part-time work.

After Aqsa left her family's home for the second time because of family disputes, her father and brother killed her in what some accounts describe as a so-called "honour killing."

Anwar Jan Parvez, Aqsa's mother, said her husband told her he killed his youngest over fears his community would think he didn't have control over his daughter's life.

Durno said it is disturbing that a father and brother could murder a 16-year-old over the issue of family pride.