Spate of Honor Killings in Pakistan Puts Spotlight on Gender-Based Violence: 18-Year-Old Reema Bibi Among the Victims

Accident – Death – Obituary News : A wave of tragic deaths of women in northwestern Pakistan has once again highlighted the issue of honor killings in the country. Pakistan has long been plagued by this horrific practice, with hundreds of women and girls losing their lives each year at the hands of relatives who claim to be safeguarding the family’s honor. Despite the implementation of stricter laws and widespread public outcry in this predominantly Muslim nation, human rights organizations assert that these killings persist.

In the most recent case, authorities have charged a man for the murder of his 18-year-old daughter, Reema Bibi, on the orders of a tribal council known as a jirga. The council deemed her guilty of dishonoring the family after she appeared in a photograph with unrelated men on social media. The incident took place in Kolai-Palas, a remote district within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Police have arrested the victim’s uncle and two cousins in connection with the crime.

The publication of images depicting women is considered taboo in deeply conservative rural areas of Pakistan, and police have suggested that the photos of Bibi were manipulated. Noor Mohammad, a police official in Kolai-Palas, revealed that one of the men and the other woman in the photos are currently under police protection. However, the whereabouts of the remaining man remain unknown.

Another tragic incident occurred in the district of Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where four people lost their lives on November 28. Police reported that a man killed his wife following a dispute, prompting the victim’s brother to retaliate by murdering the husband’s parents and young sister on the same day. Mufti Hafizullah Sabri, a local religious leader, described these acts as “cruel” and a result of deep-seated ignorance.

These recent incidents are just the latest examples of honor killings in Pakistan, where women have been murdered for various reasons, including eloping with men, committing adultery, or appearing in online videos and photographs. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), there were at least 384 documented cases of honor killings in 2022 alone, with 103 occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Asad Iqbal Butt, the head of the HRCP, lamented that these cases serve as a harrowing reminder that violence against women remains deeply entrenched in the Pakistani society.

In 2016, Pakistan introduced an amendment to its criminal law specifically addressing honor killings. The amendment imposes stricter penalties, including the death penalty or life imprisonment, for murder committed in the name of honor. However, rights groups argue that these laws have failed to effectively curb the number of killings. Nadia Rahman of Amnesty International stated that despite legislative amendments and societal outrage, honor killings persist. She emphasized that it is not enough for authorities to apprehend individuals after these attacks occur; they must also address the root causes and dismantle the village and tribal councils that perpetuate such crimes.

In 2019, Pakistan’s Supreme Court declared tribal councils illegal, citing violations of the constitution and international commitments to protect human rights and eliminate gender discrimination. However, Rahman pointed out that authorities have not done enough to dismantle the extra-legal power of these councils, allowing them to operate parallel legal systems. This failure has perpetuated patriarchal violence with impunity.

Kainat Kakakhel, a Pakistani lawyer, highlighted another flaw in the enforcement of the amended law. She explained that police often register honor killing cases as murder, which enables reconciliation between the victim’s family and the perpetrator. Under Pakistani law, the concept of diyat allows the victim’s family to pardon a murderer in exchange for financial compensation, commonly known as blood money, from the perpetrator’s family. This loophole undermines the intent of the law to prevent honor killings.

Pakistan has witnessed several high-profile cases of honor killings in recent years. In one notable incident in 2011, a tribal council in Kolai-Palas ordered the deaths of four men and two women after a homemade video surfaced, showing unrelated men and women mixing at a wedding. Three of the men, who were brothers, were later killed by the women’s family members. Afzal Kohistani, the fourth brother, dedicated his life to campaigning against honor killings but tragically lost his own life in 2019.

Another prominent case involved the murder of Qandeel Baloch, a social media star often referred to as the Kim Kardashian of Pakistan, in 2016. Baloch’s brother, Muhammad Waseem, strangled her to death, expressing no remorse for his actions. He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment, but in 2022, he was released after his mother pardoned him.

The prevalence of honor killings in Pakistan continues to be a pressing issue, despite legislative efforts and global condemnation. It is crucial for the authorities to intensify their efforts to end the impunity enjoyed by those involved in these crimes and dismantle the power structures that enable them. Only then can Pakistan hope to eradicate this deeply ingrained form of violence against women.

Written by Abubakar Siddique, based on reporting by Ishtiaq Mehsud, Niaz Ali Khan, and Maliha Amirzada of RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal..