Scourge of honour

Listen to article

The recent honour killing in Balochistan has drawn fresh attention to the illegal, but culturally acceptable practice of murdering relatives at the whim of family or community elders. But as gruesome as the recent case was, it is hardly an anomaly. In fact, honour killing is so widespread that many cases may not even make it into the headlines on a busy news day — the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated over 400 honour killings carried out in 2024, and this number is almost certainly erring on the low side.

Tribal jirgas, despite being outlawed, are near-omnipotent in some parts of the country and continue ordering executions. The 2016 anti-honour killing law, celebrated as a milestone, has proven hollow. The law's requirement for life imprisonment, even if families pardon killers, was supposed to close a notorious loophole, but enforcement remains crippled by parallel justice systems. While the number of recorded honour killings is less than half of the 1,000-plus figures from the years preceding the passage of the law, the current figures are still unacceptable.

Cultural and economic drivers fuel this crisis. Feudal power structures target women asserting marital or financial autonomy, particularly those inheriting property. Over the years, HRCP has linked conservatism to the surge in honour killings, while noting that religious groups have actively opposed provincial laws protecting women.

Disturbingly, perpetrators are lauded as "guardians of honour", while victims are erased from public memory. One of the ways to do this is through the connivance of politicians and law enforcers. Police often register honour killings as ordinary murders or suicides, enabling "reconciliation" and acquittals.

In a just society, any perceived 'honour' crimes should only be adjudicated in a court by judges whose loyalty is only to the Constitution, not any tribe, caste, or cultural practices. Those who take the law into their own hands should face the full force of the state. It should not take viral videos to force the state's hand.