Honour Killing Epidemic in Pakistan: A Silent Killer of Women

In Pakistan, honour killings, a euphemism for the brutal murders of women and men by their family members or community leaders for allegedly bringing shame to the family, have become a norm. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in 2022, 590 honour killing cases were reported, followed by 490 in 2023, and at least 346 by mid-2024, with the majority of victims being women. In 2024 alone, 392 women were reportedly murdered. The most recent incident in Duki, Balochistan, highlights the chilling reality of honour killings, where a woman and her husband were shot dead by a tribal jirga for exercising her right to remarry after divorce.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2022, 590 honour killing cases were reported in Pakistan, with 490 cases reported in 2023 and at least 346 by mid-2024.
• The majority of honour killing victims are women, with 392 women reportedly murdered in 2024 alone.
• The tribal and feudal power structures in Pakistan continue to play a significant role in perpetuating honour killings, with sardars and jirgas operating like parallel governments and issuing death verdicts in clandestine meetings.
• The state is often complicit in these killings, with the police, administration, and media often turning a blind eye or downplaying the incidents.
• The case of the woman and her husband in Duki, Balochistan, highlights the ease with which tribal jirgas can issue verdicts and have them executed, with the perpetrators often securing bail due to loopholes in the FIR.
• The FIR filed in the case was weak and vague, omitting the names of influential figures or including them with legal loopholes to facilitate bail.
• The Chief Minister of Balochistan blamed the Special Branch for not submitting a report, displaying a lack of seriousness and accountability.

Statistics:

• Around 5,000 women are murdered globally each year under the pretext of honour killings.
• In Pakistan, 392 women were reportedly murdered in 2024 alone under honour killings.
• 185 men also lost their lives in similar incidents in 2024.
• The number of honour killing cases reported in 2022 was 590, followed by 490 in 2023, and at least 346 by mid-2024.
• The High Court declared tribal jirga rulings unconstitutional in 2019, but these power centres remain active and lethal at the grassroots level.

Sources:

• Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
• Newspaper reports and articles from Pakistan