Medieval murders

It seems sometimes, indeed quite often, that we live in medieval times. The murder of women to protect the perceived ‘honour’ of the men in their families continues, and reports of such crimes come in on a frighteningly regular basis. The latest has come from Rahim Yar Khan, where a 15-year-old was apparently murdered by her brothers for allegedly having an affair with a neighbour. One of the brothers has been arrested, but this may mean nothing given that in a significant number of such cases, the country’s Qisas and Diyat laws are used, with the father of both the victim and the perpetrators seeking blood money — which, of course, never actually changes hands — letting the killers off the hook.

We can only hope this does not happen in this case. But accounts of honour killings keep coming in from across the country. Indeed, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), which monitors media reports of crimes against women, believes the figure may be rising. Till July this year, it had noted 451 cases of ‘honour’ killings. In 2012, there had been 918 — and, of course, there are cases which never make it to the media at all, but remain locked within families and clans.

The situation is an alarming one. Even today, in our society, the killing of women is far too easy. Indeed, the HRCP has noted an upsurge in crimes committed against them in major cities. The problems are tied into law, into the lack of empowerment for women and in the manner police and local administrations handle such crimes. All these factors need to be addressed if crimes committed in the name of honour are to be curbed and women and girls across the country prevented from meeting a fate as terrible as that of the teenager in Rahim Yar Khan. Our politicians and lawmakers must make it a priority to take up this matter and ensure that women everywhere in our country are safer than at present. ‘Honour’ killings and other crimes against women need to stop immediately so that we can transform into a more civilised society.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2013.

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