Honour killings in Pakistan

03-07-2023

Julija Stavar

Team Pakistan Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

Honour killings are a practice which is unfortunately still very common in Pakistan. Honour killing can be defined as the murder of someone, who is perceived to have brought dishonour or shame to the family. These are usually carried out by family members, and most of the time women or girls are the victims. The most common reasons for such practice is “the violation of social norms and what is thought to be accepted social behaviour” (Suleman Anees, 2022). For instance, it can be be because of a woman’s choice of clothing, employment or education, the refusal to accept a marriage or getting married without family’s consent, divorce, sexual assault or rape, intimate and sexual relations outside of marriage, etc. (Suleman Anees, 2022).

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, in 2021, over 470 cases of honour killings were reported in the country, but many estimate that the real number is around 1,000 cases every year (Suleman Anees, 2022). Just in the last week, there have been different cases of honour killings. One in the Kasur district of Punjab where a father allegedly committed an honour killing by slaughtering his two daughters and then fleeing the scene (Pakistan Today, 2023). Another one was a 12-year-old boy who took his mother’s life in a residential neighbourhood (Pakistan Today, 2023). 

Sources and further readings:

Pakistan Today. (2023, July 3). Kasur shaken by honour killing: father fatally shoots two daughters. Pakistan Today. Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/07/03/kasur-shaken-by-honour-killing-father-fatally-shoots-two-daughters/ 

Suleman Anees, M. (2022, July 28). ‘Honor Killings’ Continue Unabated in Pakistan. The Diplomat. Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/honor-killings-continue-unabated-in-pakistan/