21st Century and Honor killing-A pregnant woman stoned to death by her own father

Women of Pakistan marching on the roads condemning the acts of honor killings

Honor Killing in Pakistan has been a very significant issue since decades. It’s basically the act of killing a family member, usually a woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonor to the family or community. The reasons for such killings can include marrying someone against the family’s wishes, engaging in premarital or extramarital relationships, seeking a divorce, or even being the victim of sexual assault.

Despite efforts by the Pakistani government and various human rights organizations to combat honor killings, the practice persists in some parts of the country, especially in rural and conservative areas. The issue is deeply rooted in cultural norms and traditions, making it difficult to eradicate entirely.

Grab your tissues because I am going to tell you a few heart wrenching stories of the women who were tormented, stoned and strangled to death by their own families.

#1: A brother beheaded his sister for marrying her lover

A 23-year-old woman’s body was discovered in the Sindh area on July 17 around 6 AM without her head. A boy was seen moving toward the neighborhood police station while holding the head. Further inquiry led the authorities to learn that the youngster is her brother and that he brutally tortured her before beheading her. He continued by claiming that I murdered her because she had tarnished the family name by eloping with the man we had rejected. To make an example for those females who wanted to rebel against their family’s decisions, he walked through the town holding her head.

I wanted to scream as soon as I read this news. I can’t understand why she, or any woman, can’t choose the man to spend the rest of her life. It goes without saying that we should be the ones to choose who to marry and who to reject because it is our life. Well, let’s move on to the next story.

#2: Pregnant woman stoned to death by his father

In front of a Pakistani High Court on May 27, 2014, a pregnant woman named Farzana Iqbal was stoned to death by her family for eloping and marrying Muhammad Iqbal. The father, according to police investigator Mujahid, said:

“I killed my daughter as she had insulted all of our family by marrying a man without our consent, and I have no regret over it.”

It had been a protracted engagement, according to Muhammad Iqbal, and Farzana’s father had only become angry after Iqbal rejected a demand for more money than the originally agreed-upon sum for the bride price. In order to be free to marry Farzana, Muhammad Iqbal strangled his first wife. According to authorities, he was only released after that murder following a “compromise” with his first wife’s family.

This makes my blood boil for all the accurate reasons. I mean why can’t men be satisfied with having a good life with the woman they married to. I understand there could be misunderstandings and arguments but aren’t they a part of healthy marriage? Why kill your first wife to marry another who even got killed because this man chose to back off from what he said? Pathetic honestly!

#3: The girl who got abused, shot and dumped in the river

A documentary was aired in 2015 about Saba Qaiser, a woman from Punjab, Pakistan, who married a man despite the wishes of his family since they were of “lowly status”. Her father and uncle beat her, shot her in the head, put her body in a sack, and tossed the sack into a river in retaliation for her elopement. Amazingly, Saba managed to escape the sack, survive the brutal attack, swim to shore, and find assistance at a nearby gas station. Community elders put pressure on Saba to forgive her father and uncle while she was still recovering. At the time, the “forgiveness law” was still in effect, allowing murderers to be freed if the victim’s family choose to forgive them. With the help of a pro bono human rights lawyer, Saba fought the case in court, but finally chose to exclaim forgiveness in court due to the pressure she was receiving. In court, Saba’s attackers were pardoned, and they were freed. Saba was concerned for her safety when her uncle and father were later detained once more in April 2016 and were scheduled to be freed in March 2017.

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Wait what? She was FORCED to forgive them? Considering what they’ve done to her? What this girl has experienced is beyond my comprehension. I have not been able to locate any sources about this alleged forgiveness law, thus I am unsure of its continued applicability.

#4: She got murdered because she said NO!

Samia Shahid, a British woman, traveled to Pakistan to see her family in July 2016 under false pretenses after being informed that her father was dying. She was discovered dead, raped, and strangled on July 20, 2016, just six days after landing in Pakistan, at the residence of Mohammed Shakeel, former husband. Years earlier, Samia had been coerced into an arranged marriage with her cousin Mohammed Shakeel. Samia married Syed Mukhtar Kazam in 2014, and they began a new life together in Dubai. Samia admitted she was concerned before taking a flight to Pakistan in 2016 about the purpose of the trip, seeing her ex-husband, and whether or not she would return home alive.

She was the subject of the BBC documentary Murdered for Love? BBC shares that Shakeel killed Samia because she refused to remarry him. According to police sources, Samia refused to tell Shakeel where her passport was, and as a result, he raped and killed her.Samia was able to briefly elude Shakeel’s attack by running into his hallway, according to the BBC documentary, but she was then approached by her father, who gave Shakeel a nod of permission before strangling Samia.The autopsy records revealed that Samia had been raped and strangled, contrary to the family’s allegation that she had died of a heart attack. Due to a lack of evidence, the authorities discharged her father, who ultimately passed away without being charged. Shakeel, her cousin and ex-husband, is still being held by the police.

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Oh my god this literally sent shiver down my spine. Like imagine being happily married and settled in a secure country like Dubai then being called to be raped and killed! I really hope prison serves this man right.

What is Pakistan doing to avoid honor killings?

Pakistani human rights activists have been in the forefront of reform and change to put an end to the practice of honor killings. Pakistani activists want to change the law to make the practice illegal and protect victims from abuse. They emphasize universal human rights, democracy, and global feminism. Local non-governmental organization (NGO) Pakistani Women’s Human Rights Organization works to give victims a voice by hearing their stories, collaborating with global human rights organizations to combat global human rights crimes, and altering laws to better the situation for women in Pakistan.

The Gender Crime Cell was formed by the National Police Bureau in 2006 to collect information on crimes against women in Pakistan, an area where there were previously large data gaps. The intention was to use this information to inform better policy choices that would safeguard women and deter perpetrators. The Gender Responsive Policing Project, which began in 2009, was one element of this remedy. The goal of this project was to increase opportunities for women in the police department while also enhancing police practices in responding to crimes that are motivated by gender. The Women Police Network (WPN), an initiative of the Gender Crime Cell, aims to connect police organizations across the nation to enhance fact and practice sharing with the objective of bettering women’s circumstances.

The documentary A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness was made by Pakistani journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy as a means of educating the public about honor killings there and inspiring them to join the movement to end the practice. In 2016, her short subject documentary won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. This YouTube documentary, which as of April 2018 had over 384K views, is raising attention to the problem of honor killing among a global audience.

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