The cost of honour

In the second week of August 2026, Shaukat Tanoli, a resident of Sultanabad, Karachi, fatally shot his wife during a quarrel over the marriage of one of their daughters. The victim was condemned for supporting her daughter’s decision to marry - a decision the young woman had made herself. Tanoli was clearly unhappy with the marriage, probably because his daughter had dared to make the decision herself.

This cold-blooded murder could easily have turned into another case of karo-kari had Tanoli had easy access to his daughter. But he probably did not have the courage to go against his daughter’s husband and male in-laws, and so the easiest option was to kill his wife, whom he apparently saw as an accomplice for supporting their daughter. If he had had the opportunity to pursue the married couple, this murder might well have become just another statistic.

The thing about honour killing is that there is nothing to be proud of or honourable about this crime, and whatever the cause for killing a woman, it is a serious crime, regardless of the motive. Adding suffixes and prefixes does not make it acceptable. Taking a life is a personal choice and a crime.

Shakir Adam, a clinical psychologist and researcher who specialises in marginalised communities, mental health equity and help-seeking behaviour, says, “Honour killing is a premeditated murder of a vulnerable person, mostly women, often by family or community members in order to restore their ‘honour’. It is most frequent in conservative, collectivist societies, such as in some parts of Pakistan.”

“It mostly occurs when the female tries to exert some sort of autonomy, either by engaging in a non-sanctioned relationship, refusing an arranged marriage, or seeking a divorce, etc. These societies consider such autonomy a threat to their social fabric and by murdering the woman, they attempt to reclaim their social standing,” adds Adam.

Pakistan has a serious problem with the murder of women at the hands of their own families, particularly male relatives. For centuries, societies have found ways to justify the killing of a person, usually a woman.

A young girl was strangled to death by a group of men, including her father, brothers and uncles, in Chak 170/10R in Khanewal district. The victim had married a man from her village in court - a “serious crime” that led a group of men to take her life by strangling her. They told people that she had been electrocuted.

The murderers tried to cover up the crime by lying about the cause of death. This means that even they could not justify the murder by calling it “honourable.” They had to lie and people only lie to conceal or justify something they know is wrong or criminal.

Wouldn’t the village community have accepted the girl’s murder in the name of karo-kari, or was the family afraid that the law would catch up with them and that they would face the consequences? “The community used this to justify the killing of women while psychologically we used honour to turn these brutal killings into socially acceptable sacrifices,” comments Adam.

“Firstly, it helps enforce patriarchal control. Secondly, this rebranding helps people shift the blame onto the victims, allowing them to evade moral guilt and view themselves as righteous protectors of tradition rather than criminals. Thirdly, it enables them to exploit legal loopholes, allowing perpetrators to escape justice with minimal consequences,” he elaborates.

Karo-kari, rebranded as “honour killings,” involves the killing of close family members or members of social groups to preserve or restore collective honour, which is primarily defined by men. Women become the sacrifices placed on the social altar because they are believed to have transgressed cultural norms. Such murders are committed in response to acts related to sexual behaviour, including refusing to enter arranged marriages or engaging in relationships deemed inappropriate.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not restricted to any single culture or religion and has been reported across various countries, including those in the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and North America. The age of the victim does not matter; what matters is the invisible concept of ‘honour’ which is largely a patriarchal invention.

Murders committed in the name of ‘honour’ are often underreported or disguised as accidents or suicides. Therefore, the exact number of cases cannot be determined. Most available statistics are estimates based on police and media reports.

In Pakistan, an estimated 1,000 women are killed annually in the name of honour. These estimates are based on data collected by human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and the Human Rights Commission, as well as reports from the media and police.

Some may claim that the low numbers reported in Pakistan are due to the country’s social infrastructure, which is not women-friendly and to laws that do not adequately empower or protect women from this brutal crime. However, it is quite unfortunate that the global figures for honour-related killings are also relatively low. One estimate by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) puts the number of women killed globally each year in honour-related incidents at 5,000.

There may be various reasons why women continue to be sacrificed at the whim of an individual male relative or a group of men. Of course, one of the main reasons is society’s acceptance of violence as a means of controlling women and keeping them ‘in line’ - an attitude that is supported by a significant portion of the population, including women.

Patriarchal societies are made for men, by men. Therefore, social infrastructure over the centuries has developed around their needs. Since women have always been part of their so-called realm, their needs have rarely been taken into account.

There are many examples of this in the everyday things around us. For example, take a simple footpath. Pavements and curbs are often designed in ways that make them difficult for many women to use with ease. The structures may be too high, disconnected or encroached upon, making it difficult for women to walk safely and comfortably. Like male pedestrians, they are often forced to walk alongside heavy traffic, exposing them to the risk of harassment.

Similarly, laws were made by men, which sometimes created problems for women seeking legal recourse. This patriarchal mindset may also have contributed to the murder of women by male relatives, which was erroneously referred to as ‘honour killing’. Men viewed a strong, vocal and confident woman who made her own decisions as a dent in their honour, and therefore, the killing of such a woman was sometimes seen as justified.

However, as time progressed, women struggled to gain legal protection and worked towards amending and revising existing laws. They worked hard to help formulate laws that protected their rights. It is interesting to note that the legal response to honour killing also varies significantly, with some countries recognising and sanctioning such crimes, while others treat the murder of women as a heinous crime under general laws.

Pakistan has passed several significant laws to protect women from various crimes and the usurpation of their rights, both at the federal and provincial levels. Here are some important laws passed in Pakistan that every woman should be aware of:

*Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offence in the Name or Pretext of Honour) Act, 2016, which introduced mandatory life imprisonment (25 years) for perpetrators of honour killings. This was a crucial amendment to the Pakistan Penal Code aimed at preventing perpetrators from walking free by obtaining a pardon or forgiveness (wali) from the victim’s family.

*Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act, 2011, which criminalises discriminatory customary practices, including forced marriages, giving women away as compensation in tribal or local disputes (Vani or Swara), marrying a woman to the Quran and depriving women of their lawful inheritance.

*Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act, 2016, which provides for the creation of protection centres, temporary shelters and protection orders issued by courts against abusers.

*Sindh Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013, which criminalises physical, verbal, emotional and economic abuse within the household.

*Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Domestic Violence Acts, which provide legal avenues, protection orders and monetary relief for victims of domestic abuse.

*Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act, 2011, which made acid attacks punishable by 14 years to life imprisonment, along with substantial fines.

*Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, and the Anti-Rape Act, 2016, which provide for special anti-rape courts for expedited trials, prohibit the outdated and invasive “two-finger test,” require mandatory DNA profiling and establish victim and witness protection units.

*Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006, which moved rape charges out of the controversial 1979 Hudood Ordinances and back under the Pakistan Penal Code, ensuring that rape cases are treated as criminal offenses rather than as consensual offenses.

These are good laws and it should be possible to prevent the cold-blooded murder of women. However, this cannot be achieved as long as there are too many weak links. Until everyone, including women, stops supporting such crimes, the problem will persist. Accomplices can help conceal the true number of cases and, at times, help cover up a murder that has been committed. This creates a strong support system for those who take lives with impunity. The media can work closely with the authorities and play an important role in protecting vulnerable sections of society.

One good example would be installing panic buttons across the country and linking them to the police and local authorities. This initiative has already been implemented in Lahore as part of the Punjab Chief Minister’s efforts to protect women in the city. In June 2026, panic buttons were installed at more than 122 locations across Lahore. Under the CM Punjab’s vision of a safer and more secure Punjab, the City Traffic Police Lahore installed CM Punjab QR Panic Buttons in public transport vehicles and at various locations across the city. These buttons are connected to the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s operations centre, enabling immediate police dispatch in case of an emergency.

Governments may be able to protect many women from abuse and murder by allocating budgets to make Pakistan safer for women, transgender people and children. Installing panic buttons equipped with CCTV cameras at strategic points in every city, town and village could provide live protection to vulnerable people by allowing authorities to see the victim and/or the perpetrator.

This process may take time and require significant resources and funding, but if the government is genuinely interested in saving innocent people from harm, panic buttons could be one option for protecting vulnerable communities. Women and transgender people deserve to be protected under the law and by the authorities. Maybe this approach will work.

The writer is a senior journalist who specialises in human rights and gender issues. She can be reached at [email protected]