Activists voice concern over honour killing cases in Swat

"Since January 2016, 29 women have been killed in the name of honour in Swat," says activist

MINGORA: Rights activists in Swat have raised concern over the surge in honour killing in different areas of the Swat district.

They cited the annual report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) which suggested the number of cases that have surfaced in Swat surpass all other districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Irfan Hussain Babak, an activist, expressed concern over the statistics.



“It is a matter of concern that during last week, eight women either committed suicide or were killed in different areas of Swat,” he added, “Since January 2016, 29 women have been killed in the name of honour in Swat.”

He also drew attention to the growing number of crimes pertaining to gender discrimination. “Human trafficking is also common in Swat and two cases of human trafficking were reported from the region,” Babak said.

He added one case of Swara and two cases of harassment were reported during the past few months.

Other activists have also looked into the underlying reasons why a growing number of suicide and honour killing cases involving women has surfaced.

Neelam Abrar, a rights activist in Swat, said women commit suicide over matters of marriage as they are seldom taken into confidence by their parents. “Many women have also ended their lives over domestic violence and the matter of education as they want to study further,” she said.



Ghazala Rehman, another rights activist in Swat said, “The police never take the matter of honour killing seriously and don’t bother to register an FIR against the wrongdoers.”

Official narrative

When contacted, Swat DPO Saleem Marwat told The Express Tribune the police department is neither turning its back on the affected parties of the incidents of honour killing nor adopting a lax attitude.” The DPO blamed family members of the deceased for not providing the true reasons behind the killings. “This hinders the investigation process,” he added.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in its annual report of 2016 stated that around 1,100 women either committed suicide, or were killed in the name of honour across the country. The report adds that Swat leaves all the other districts of K-P behind in the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2016.