Each year 1000 women are murdered on the pretext of so-called honour
Women are always soft target and their lives are more vulnerable in a society because state is unable to implement law to protect their lives.
In six months in 2019, in Sindh, 50 women, 20 men were killed, stated Human Rights of commission of Pakistan.
Pakistan government legislated a law against so-called honour killing anti-honour killing act, 2016, law was amended – now – victim cannot easily pardon a murderer, prior to being pardoned by a victim family.
Despite having a law, numbers are killing of women have been roared ahead, recently, was reported nine singers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being killing – some of them in the name of so-called honour killing, approximately, each year 1000 women get killed on the pretext of honour.
Qandeel Baloch, 26, social media star, was killed in the name of honour killing on July, 15, 2016. Court had rendered a verdict in Multan by sentencing her brother Muhammad Waseem. Whereas, Molvi Qavi was set free, it was established; how Qandeel was harassed and threatened by Qavi.Again, real culprits are at large in cases of honour killing. And, Qandeel Baloch case received half justice. It means, justice has not be done.
If law doesn’t show its spirit, becomes a paper of piece
“I personally feel, first time, we have enacted a law by which a victim family can hardly pardon murderer. Otherwise, killers walk free because families forgive them,” says Farhtullah Babar, a senior politician at PPP [Pakistan People’s Party and former senator of Parliament of Pakistan. State’s law has not delivered as it should have delivered. “It is correct that law is a piece of paper unless it is providing the justice,” said Farhtullah Babar.
Bushra Gohar is human rights activist and former senator of parliament of Pakistan, condemning over the system in which get a justice is difficult, indeed, impossible despite the anti-honour killing (Criminal Amendment) law. She described reasons: being immediate family member’s involvement, social acceptability, lack of political will, and weak justice system.
The victims are not alive to fight for justice and then entire social and legal environment are geared towards justifying the crime, said Bushra Gohar.
Pakistan government enacted law against so-called honour killing, still roaring ahead numbers of killings on the pretext of honour. It showed, state could not implement its own law, said Dr. Farzana Bari, human rights activist. Farhtullah Babar believed that political parties had spoken over the human rights issues. His political party PPP, is firmly committed towards human rights, by quoting Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam [JUI] religious political party supported death-penalty, but his party PPP opposed it and they made JUI realize that death-penalty should be turned into life imprisonment.
When asked over killing of Remsha Wasan in Khairpur district Sind – he said; he felt that they had few issues, but his party spoke for justice, committed towards Human Rights issues. It is reported that a whopping 90 percent of so-called honour killing are still on pending list. Moreover, some cases do not get registered.
“Pakistan will continue to be an uphill struggle until the state is held responsible and ensuring justice to be delivered – until is treated as a crime against the state,” believes Bushra Gohar.
Judiciary system has to deliver and such issues should be resolved, soon.
