Condemning misogyny

During the Senate proceedings of June 9, the alarming increase in honour killings were discussed at length

As another young woman lost her life to the honour code, which compels people to kill family members for supposedly dishonourable actions, the din against such incidents is growing. Though Pakistanis have become more or less immune to violent incidents due to an unfortunate combination of terrorism and rising extremism in society at large, the recent spate of honour killings has been appalling enough to jolt many out of their usual lethargy. The Senate, too, has sat up and taken notice of the horrific murder committed by a mother who set her young daughter on fire for marrying a man of her own choosing. During the Senate proceedings of June 9, the alarming increase in such incidents and lack of legal action against the perpetrators were discussed at length. The Senate chairman not only condemned these killings but also referred the matter to the Functional Human Rights Committee for the formulation of a law to curb such crimes.

Other members of the house took the opportunity to link the rise in violence against women with the government’s apparent unwillingness to take any solid steps towards criminalising such atrocities. In its present state, the law contains loopholes, which allow family members to get away with honour killings by being ‘pardoned’ by the victim’s and murderer’s close relatives. The bill forwarded against these killings by former senator Sughra Imam has so far failed to be passed in joint sessions of parliament due to opposition from religious parties. The senators also derided the Council of Islamic Ideology for representing a section of society that has medieval attitudes towards women’s place in society, with many stating outright that that it has outlived its usefulness and called out its obsession with regulating women’s behaviour. While it is too much to hope that this session of the Senate or an amendment to the law, if it is ever passed, will change attitudes towards honour killings overnight, such condemnations and legislations are vital if we are to move on from these violent belief systems that are holding the country back.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2016.

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