What is honor killing and how it is practiced in Pakistan?

2. WHAT IS HONOR KILLING?
HONOUR KILLING IS THE HOMICIDE OF A MEMBER OF A
FAMILY OR SOCIAL GROUP BY OTHER MEMBERS, DUE TO
THE BELIEF OF THE PERPETRATORS THAT THE VICTIM
HAS BROUGHT DISHONOR UPON THE FAMILY OR
COMMUNITY.

3. ORIGIN OF ‘HONOR KILLING’:
• IN ANCIENT ROME BEING RAPED WAS SEEN AS DISHONORABLE TO THE POINT
OF DESTROYING A WOMAN'S LIFE AND REPUTATION, AND HONOR KILLING WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE A "MERCIFUL" ACT.
• THE NOTION OF HONOUR AND SHAME AND ITS JUSTIFICATION FOR VIOLENCE AND KILLING IS
NOT UNIQUE TO ANY ONE CULTURE OR RELIGION.
• SOME WORLDWIDE EXAMPLES: HONOUR KILLING WAS A PRACTICE IN EASTERN SOCIETIES.
• IN BRITAIN-THE FIFTH WIFE OF HENRY VIII WAS KILLED BASED ON ALLEGATION OF ADULTERY.

4. RECORDED CASES:
270
507
51
71
283
418
58
88
343
359
43
61
235
449
30
75
44
343
23 36
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Sindh Punjab Balochistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Recorded Cases of Honor Killing
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

5. 53.8 53.3
73.8
61
15.7
18.6
7.1
17.6
30.5 28.1
19 21.4
0
25
50
75
100
Discriminatory Customs No Legal Protection Lack of Education/Awareness Economic Deprivation/Poverty
Yes No Don't Know
IN SINDH 53.8% SELECTED DISCRIMINATORY CUSTOMS; 53.3% SELECTED NO LEGAL PROTECTION; 73.8%
SELECTED LACK OF EDUCATION/AWARENESS; 61% SELECTED ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION/POVERTY AND
24.3% SELECTED UNSUITABILITY OF PARTNERS.

6. IN PUNJAB 75.2% SELECTED DISCRIMINATORY CUSTOMS; 73.5% SELECTED NO LEGAL PROTECTION; 94.6%
SELECTED LACK OF EDUCATION/ AWARENESS; 90.6% SELECTED ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION/POVERTY AND
81.5% SELECTED UNSUITABILITY OF PARTNERS.
53.8 53.3
73.8
61
15.7
18.6
7.1
17.6
30.5 28.1
19 21.4
0
25
50
75
100
Discriminatory Customs No Legal Protection Lack of Education/Awareness Economic Deprivation/Poverty
Yes No Don't Know

7. IN BALUCHISTAN, 86% IDENTIFIED DISCRIMINATORY CUSTOMS, 70.5% ABSENCE OF LEGAL PROTECTION,
83% LACK OF EDUCATION/ AWARENESS, 85% ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION/POVERTY, AND 76% UNSUITABILITY
OF PARTNERS AS CAUSES OF HONOR CRIMES.
86
70.5
83 85
7
19
12
9.5
7
10.5
5 5.5
0
25
50
75
100
Discriminatory Customs No Legal Protection Lack of Education/Awareness Economic Deprivation/Poverty
Yes No Don't Know

8. IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, 68.2% IDENTIFIED DISCRIMINATORY CUSTOMS, 62.1% THE ABSENCE OF LEGAL PROTECTION, 84.3% LACK
OF EDUCATION/AWARENESS, 66.4% ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION/POVERTY AND 60.7% UNSUITABILITY OF PARTNERS AS CAUSES OF
HONOR CRIMES.
68.2
62.1
84.3
66.4
16.4
21.4
2.9
18.9
15.4 16.4
12.9 14.6
0
25
50
75
100
Discriminatory Customs No Legal Protection Lack of Education/Awareness Economic Deprivation/Poverty
Yes No Don't Know

9. IN NATIONAL LEGAL CODES
COUNTRIES WHERE THE LAW IS INTERPRETED TO ALLOW MEN TO KILL FEMALE RELATIVES :
•JORDAN
•SYRIA
COUNTRIES THAT ALLOW HUSBANDS TO KILL ONLY THEIR WIVES :
•MOROCCO
•LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES
COUNTRIES WHERE HONOR KILLING IS NOT LEGAL BUT IS KNOWN TO OCCUR :
•TURKEY
•PAKISTAN
•EGYPT

10. SOME REASONS AND FACTS BEHIND HONOR KILLING:
Honor Killing
Refusing
Arranged
Marriage.
Adultry Rape.
Disobeying the
Dress Code Given by
the Community to
the Females.
Engaging in Lesbian
or Gay
Relationships.
Marrying the Person
Outside the Caste or
Religion.

11. LAWS OF HONOR KILLING:
HONOR KILLING IS DEALT AS A MURDER CRIME UNDER THE CRIMINAL LAW OF PAKISTAN, AND QISAS
(PUNISHMENT EQUAL TO THE OFFENCE) AND DIYAT (COMPENSATION), BASED ON ISLAMIC INJUNCTIONS.
RECENTLY, SPECIAL LEGAL PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN PROMULGATED AMENDING THE CRIMINAL LAW VIDE
CRIMINAL AMENDMENT ACT, 2004 TO DEFINE AND ENFORCE PUNISHMENT FOR AN OFFENCE COMMITTED IN THE
NAME OR ON THE PRETEXT OF HONOR. APART FROM SUCH AMENDMENTS SOME LOOPHOLES STILL PERSIST IN
SECTIONS 306 AND 307 OF THE PAKISTAN PENAL CODE (PPC) IN CASES OF HONOR KILLING.

12. • PAKISTAN SIGNED, RATIFIED AND ADOPTED THE UN
CONVENTION ON ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN 1996.
• STILL, 51 PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL POPULATION FALLS VICTIM
TO SOME FORM OF PATRIARCHAL VIOLENCE.
• IN 2016, PAKISTAN TOOK STEPS TO ENSURE INTERNATIONAL
COMMITMENTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS TO
SAFEGUARD WOMEN RIGHTS BY INTRODUCING THE PUNJAB
PROTECTION OF WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE ACT (2016).
• RECENTLY, A JOINT SESSION OF PARLIAMENT APPROVED THE
ANTI-HONOR KILLING BILL (2016) BY INTRODUCING STRICT
PUNISHMENTS FOR CONVICTS.
Continue……..

13. EFFECTS OF HONOR KILLING ON SOCIETY:

14. IMPACT OF HONOR CRIMES ON THE VICTIMS:
VICTIMS OF HONOR CRIMES SUFFER FROM PHYSICAL ILLNESS , PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS,
SOCIAL BOYCOTT BY THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION .
IMPACT OF HONOR CRIMES ON VICTIMS’ FAMILY AND SOCIAL CIRCLE:
THE CHILDREN OF THE VICTIMS SUFFER DIRE CONSEQUENCES.
THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE VICTIMS ARE AFFECTED BY HONOR CRIMES.
THE IN-LAWS OF THE VICTIMS ALSO FACE DIRE CONSEQUENCES FROM THE CRIME.
THE COMMUNITY OR TRIBE FACE EMBARRASSMENT DUE TO VIOLENT HONOR CRIMES.

15. FACTORS LEADING TO RISE IN KILLINGS :
• POLITICAL SUPPORT
• GENDER DISCRIMINATION.
• PERSONS WHO KILLED THE VICTIMS IN THEIR HONOR ARE ALMOST NEVER PUNISHED
.IN RARE CASE THEY ARE BROUGHT ON TRIAL FOR SERVING ONLY FOR THREE MONTHS
IN PRISON AT MOST .MOREOVER MOST OF THEM ARE LET OFF.

16. RECOMMENDATIONS
1.POLICE TO PERFORM FULL RISK ASSESSMENTS
2. NATIONAL PROTECTION SCHEME
3. NATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP FOR ‘HONOUR’ RELATED CRIME
4. COUNCILS TO PROVIDE SECURE ACCOMMODATION
5. MANDATORY TRAINING IN ‘HONOUR’ RELATED CRIME
6. DEDICATED ‘HONOUR’ RELATED CRIME TEAM/OFFICER WITHIN EACH POLICE FORCE
7. LONG-TERM, SECURED RESOURCES FOR ALL ORGANIZATIONS
8. ABOLITION OF ‘NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDING’ REGULATIONS

17. CONCLUSION
• THE FIRST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HONOR KILLING IS THAT THIS IS A PRACTICE THAT IS
LIMITED TO THE RURAL AREAS.
• THE SECOND MISCONCEPTION REGARDING HONOR KILLING IS THAT IT HAS RELIGIOUS ROOTS.
EVEN IF A WOMAN COMMITS ADULTERY, THERE HAVE TO BE FOUR MALE WITNESSES WITH
GOOD BEHAVIOR AND REPUTATION TO VALIDATE THE CHARGE.

18. WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT SUCH A THING FROM
HAPPENING?
• FIRSTLY, THE MENTALITY OF THE PEOPLE HAS TO CHANGE.
• SECONDLY, WE NEED TO HAVE STRICTER LAWS TO TACKLE THESE KINDS OF KILLINGS AS THIS IS A
CRIME WHICH CANNOT BE PARDONED BECAUSE HUMANS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO WRITE
DOWN DEATH SENTENCES OF INNOCENT FELLOW HUMANS.
• PSYCHOLOGICALLY SPEAKING, PARENTS UNCONSCIOUSLY ABUSE THEIR WARDS TO TAKE REVENGE
FOR THE ABUSE THEY HAD THEMSELVES SUFFERED AT THEIR OWN PARENTS' HANDS