Lawlessness, illiteracy reasons for 'honour killings' in Pakistan: Report
Dec 27, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 27 : Lawlessness and illiteracy were among the top reasons why a total of 417 Pakistanis became victims in hundreds of incidents of 'honour killings' across the country in 2022, The News International reported on Tuesday.
The Pakistani newspaper said of the 417 people, 152 were men and 265 were women. Around 152 incidents of honour killings were reported in Punjab province. Sindh stood second with 96 cases.
As many as 42 incidents of honour killings were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Balochistan, one from Gilgit-Baltistan, and one from Islamabad, The News reported.
On Monday, 'Witch Hunt/Karo-Kari' was held at the Karachi Press Club.
Qazi Khizar, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Sindh vice president said in Karachi, 21 incidents of honour killings have, so far, been reported in 2022.
The top HRCP said "lawlessness, low literacy rate and feudal system", under which influential feudal lords had made society hostage in the name of tribal traditions, the reasons behind incidence of honour killings.
Khizar regretted that there was some acceptance for the heinous crime in Pakistan society. "Even the residents of those areas from where the highest number of Karo-Kari cases were reported don't consider it a crime while the killers feel proud," it reported.
"People kill women to restore the family honour. Also, the family members of the victims don't cooperate with law enforcers in conducting a proper investigation. There is an urgent need to make a mechanism for the investigation of such cases," Khizart said.
Violence against women and girls--including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage--remains a serious problem throughout Pakistan, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The New York-based HRW said human rights defenders estimate that hundreds of women are killed in so-called honor killings every year in Pakistan.
