EDITORIAL: In recent months, a disturbing surge in so-called ‘honour killings’ has once again exposed the brutal realities faced by women in many of our tribal and rural regions. In nearly all of these cases, young women – often along with their partners – have been brutally murdered by male relatives, following orders or tacit approval from local jirgas or panchayats (tribal or village councils).
The victims are typically accused of tarnishing the family’s honour by marrying someone of their own choosing, speaking to a man without permission, or merely asserting their independence. Behind each such killing lies a warped sense of pride, deeply rooted in misogyny and the belief that a woman’s life is expendable if she defies patriarchal norms.
What makes these incidents especially disturbing is the continued role of jirgas, despite their having been declared illegal by the Sindh High Court in 2004 and later by the Supreme Court in 2006. Yet these parallel justice systems continue to operate with impunity in many rural and tribal areas, often overshadowing the authority of the state. Law enforcement agencies are either complicit or powerless in such situations.
In several reported cases, police have refused to register FIRs or delayed investigations under pressure from influential local figures. Even when cases reach the courts, convictions remain rare. Often, the perpetrators – fathers, brothers, or uncles of the murdered women – invoke Qisas and Diyat laws to have themselves “forgiven” by other family members.
Parliament attempted to address this loophole with a landmark law in 2016, preventing family members from pardoning such killers. While this legislation was a critical step forward, its impact on the ground has been limited in areas where jirga and panchayat decisions are treated as binding.
What we are witnessing is a systemic failure – of law enforcement, of political will, and of society itself. Women continue to be treated not as individuals with rights and agency, but as vessels of family honour, whose choices must be controlled and, if necessary, punished.
It is now abundantly clear that legislation alone is not enough. The state must dismantle the parallel systems of justice that perpetuate these crimes. This includes cracking down on illegal jirgas, ensuring timely prosecutions, and insulating whistleblowers and witnesses from retribution.
Equally important are widespread awareness campaigns that challenge the cultural mindset underpinning ‘honour’-based violence. Until society stops treating a woman’s autonomy as a threat to family dignity, and until those who condone and commit these crimes are consistently held accountable, these tragedies will continue to occur. Such violence only debases the very ideal of honour.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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