101 killed in name of honour

KARACHI:

As many as 101 men and women were killed in the name of honour across Sindh between January and June 2024, according to figures released by the Sindh Suhai Organisation, a social and women rights body, on Friday. It expressed concern over the increasing incidents of violence against women, including murder and sexual harassment, in province.

The figures show that most honour killings took place in Jacobabad district, where 22 women and 12 men were murdered in the name of honour. Seventeen women and six men were murdered in Kashmore, 23 in Sukkur, 20 in Khairpur, 19 in Ghotki, 12 in Larkana, and 76 in other districts of the province. Many incidents have gone unreported, and in cases where the state has registered complaints, the families of women killed on charges of dishonour often do not file cases. Even when they do, they tend to compromise on the case later on. As a result, very few offenders are punished in honor of killing cases, and the incidents continue to rise. Despite court orders, jirgas (tribal councils) are still being held today.

Currently, women accused of dishonor are often buried without any action taken, with families labeling these incidents as suicides. Recently, a man buried his wife alive after subjecting her to violence, claiming that she had fled the house in the area of Saleh Pat. A troubling trend has emerged where two women are being killed simultaneously. For example, the murder of Shameem and Lal in Mehrabpur is attributed to poverty, lack of education, a culture of banditry, tribal systems, and property disputes.

According to Suhai, women are being overlooked in postings across all departments at the governmental level. "We demand that more women SHOs be appointed in police stations to facilitate women in expressing their issues," it stated.