"Rise in Honor Killings": Sindh, Pakistan witnesses a striking 43% uptick in honor killing incidents
In a concerning development, the number of honor killings in Pakistan, particularly in the Sindh province, has seen a significant increase in the first eight months of 2022.
According to the Sindh police, there was a 43% increase in honor killing cases from January 1 to August 31, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. This alarming trend has resulted in more than 100 women and 32 men becoming victims of these heinous crimes.
Nuzhat Shireen, a former chairperson of the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women, attributes this rise in part to improved reporting and in part to the non-implementation of laws. She also blames a lack of government will and priorities for the continued prevalence of honor killings.
Ali Ahmed Palh, a lawyer and human rights activist, echoes these concerns. He states that honor killings are not just more frequently reported but are also happening more often, and have spread beyond traditional areas like Ghotki, Larkana, and Shahdadkot to other parts of Sindh. Palh notes that killers are becoming increasingly cunning, disguising honor killings as suicides.
The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported that 405 women were killed in honor killing cases nationwide in 2024, compared to 226 in 2023. Unfortunately, the name of a victim from July 2024 in Rawalpindi, who was murdered for marrying a man of her choice, remains unknown due to a lack of search results.
The increase in honor killings is not limited to rural areas. Major cities like Karachi are also seeing a rise in these crimes. In July 2022, police in the garrison city of Rawalpindi arrested the father and the ex-husband of an alleged honor killing victim among nine people. Similarly, in the southwestern Balochistan province, 11 suspects were arrested after a video shared online appeared to show a young couple being fatally shot for marrying without their families' approval.
Despite the passage of a law in 2016 to close loopholes that once allowed families to "forgive" perpetrators in honor killing cases, conviction rates remain extremely low, often below 2%, according to UN estimates. Palh calls honor killings a "stigma on society," and notes that those who commit this offense are often rewarded in "feudal and tribal areas."
Much of Pakistani society operates under a strict code of "honor," with women having limited choices regarding education, employment, and marriage due to male relatives. Honor killings are a long-standing issue in South Asia, where family members kill individuals for actions perceived as bringing shame to the family, such as choosing their own spouse.
This escalating trend of honor killings underscores the urgent need for increased enforcement of existing laws, improved reporting mechanisms, and a shift in societal attitudes towards women's rights and autonomy.
