Latest news with #HumanRightsCommissionofPakistan
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Father among 9 people arrested in Pakistan over suspected honour killing
Lahore, Jul 29 (AP) The father and the ex-husband of an alleged honour-killing victim are among nine people arrested in eastern Pakistan in connection with the young woman's death. Police said Sidra Bibi, 18, was killed on the orders of a local council of elders in the garrison city of Rawalpindi after she married a man of her choice. Some of her relatives are alleged to have buried her body and flattened the land to erase evidence of a grave, police official Aftab Hussain said Monday. The victim was suffocated using a pillow placed over her face, he added. The arrests came after authorities exhumed the body and carried out an autopsy, which confirmed she had been tortured before being killed. The case has drawn widespread condemnation in a country where honour killings are still common. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 405 women were killed in 2024 in such cases, compared with 226 in 2023. 'The actual number is believed to be higher due to underreporting," said Sadia Bukhari, a member of the commission's council. Honour killings, in which family members kill women for actions perceived as bringing shame to the family — such as choosing their spouse — have increased in recent years. Earlier this month, police in southwestern Balochistan province arrested 11 suspects after a video shared online appeared to show a young couple being fatally shot for marrying without their families' approval. Police confirmed the authenticity of the footage, saying the killings happened in the Deghari district in the province of Balochistan. In January, police arrested a Pakistani man suspected of killing his US-born 15-year-old daughter for refusing to stop posting videos on TikTok, a platform with more than 54 million users in the country. 'These so-called honour killings reveal a deep-rooted mindset that views women as the property of men," Bukhari said. 'Most women in Pakistan face discrimination from childhood through adulthood." (AP) SCY SCY view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Father among 9 people arrested in Pakistan over suspected honor killing
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — The father and the ex-husband of an alleged honor-killing victim are among nine people arrested in eastern Pakistan in connection with the young woman's death. Police said Sidra Bibi, 18, was killed on the orders of a local council of elders in the garrison city of Rawalpindi after she married a man of her choice. Some of her relatives are alleged to have buried her body and flattened the land to erase evidence of a grave, police official Aftab Hussain said Monday. The victim was suffocated using a pillow placed over her face, he added. The arrests came after authorities exhumed the body and carried out an autopsy, which confirmed she had been tortured before being killed. The case has drawn widespread condemnation in a country where honor killings are still common. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 405 women were killed in 2024 in such cases, compared with 226 in 2023. 'The actual number is believed to be higher due to underreporting,' said Sadia Bukhari, a member of the commission's council. Honor killings, in which family members kill women for actions perceived as bringing shame to the family — such as choosing their spouse — have increased in recent years. Earlier this month, police in in southwestern Balochistan province arrested 11 suspects after a video shared online appeared to show a young couple being fatally shot for marrying without their families' approval. Police confirmed the authenticity of the footage, saying the killings happened in the Deghari district in the province of Balochistan. In January, police arrested a Pakistani man suspected of killing his U.S.-born 15-year-old daughter for refusing to stop posting videos on TikTok, a platform with more than 54 million users in the country. 'These so-called honor killings reveal a deep-rooted mindset that views women as the property of men,' Bukhari said. 'Most women in Pakistan face discrimination from childhood through adulthood.' __ Associated Press writer Asim Tanveer contributed to this story from Multan, Pakistan.
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Beyond honour: reclaiming justice and humanity in Pakistan
In the heart of Baluchistan, a crowd gathered, watching in silence as two young lives were ended in the name of 'honour.' Their only crime: being accused of bringing shame. This was not a hidden act, but a public spectacle, a chilling reminder that in Pakistan, 'honour' can still become a licence to kill. But my question is how many more lives must be lost before we admit that 'honour' has become a weapon, not a virtue? Each year, the silent toll of honour killings grows in lives cut short, families shattered, and justice denied. This is not just a statistic; it is a national emergency that demands our collective conscience and urgent action. Most often, it is women who pay the highest price. In Pakistan, the concept of 'honour' leads to the tragic loss of countless women each year, reflecting a persistent tradition that presents serious obstacles to justice and human rights. Honour killings, defined as the murder of women to protect family reputation, remain a troubling form of gender-based violence in Pakistan. Taking on responsibility often brings a sense of authority, as legal consequences are often insufficient and societal norms prioritize family reputation over individual rights. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded around 1,961 honour killings from 2004 to 2022, but the actual numbers are likely much higher due to underreporting. Section 299 of the Pakistan Penal Code defines honour killing as an offence aimed at preserving honour. Sections 300 and 302 categorize it as murder and specify the punishment. Despite the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2004 and the Anti-Honour Killing Act 2016 aiming to make these offences non-compoundable and state matters, notable loopholes remain. The Qisas and Diyat law illustrates this clearly, allowing pardons and reducing accountability, as seen in the Qandeel Baloch case. In various regions of Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, informal justice mechanisms such as jirgas are crucial for resolving disputes, particularly in contexts where formal opportunities are restricted. Nonetheless, these forums are largely characterized by a male presence, with a notable lack of representation for women. This gap is more than just a theoretical idea. In March 1999, a troubling incident occurred involving a 16-year-old girl in Parachinar, who was sent back to her tribe after being raped. The jirga determined she had dishonoured her tribe, leading to her execution in front of tribal members. Honour killings occur in various settings, not limited to tribal or rural areas. Samia Sarwar, 29, was shot dead in her lawyer's office in Lahore while pursuing a divorce. Her own mother, a medical professional, was involved in the heartbreaking choice to end a life. Honour killings are wrongly justified by religion, yet neither the Quran nor Hadith endorses these actions. Islam strictly forbids the taking of innocent lives (Surah An-Nisa 4:93), and religious authorities consistently denounce honour killings, emphasizing that justice belongs to the legal system. The actions stem from enduring customs that emphasize patriarchal control over women's autonomy, rather than authentic religious beliefs, as shown by their absence in many Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees key rights, including the right to life and liberty (Article 9) and protections for women (Article 25). The leniency in honour killing cases dates back to British colonial rule. The 1990 amendments incorporated Islamic principles like Qisas and Diyat into the legal system, allowing for family pardons. The 2004 and 2016 Acts strengthened the judicial system by making honour killings non-compoundable. The legal system has flaws; courts sometimes grant exceptions, and victims' families may choose to forgive offenders. The Qandeel Baloch case illustrates ongoing challenges, as her brother was initially sentenced but later acquitted by the Lahore High Court due to procedural issues. This situation reveals ongoing problems in the criminal justice system, including blood pardons, poorly crafted legislation, and narrow legal interpretations. The Constitution of Pakistan ensures important rights, such as the right to life and liberty (Article 9), along with provisions for the protection of women (Article 25). Historically, the leniency observed in cases of honour killings can be traced back to the era of British colonial rule. The amendments of 1990 brought Islamic principles such as qisas and diyat into the legal framework, permitting family pardons. In contrast, the Acts of 2004 and 2016 reinforced the judicial system by rendering honour killings non-compoundable. Nonetheless, the legal system is not without its flaws, as courts occasionally grant exceptions or victims' families choose to forgive offenders. The Qandeel Baloch case, where her brother was initially sentenced but later acquitted by the Lahore High Court due to procedural issues, exemplifies these persistent challenges. This situation highlights persistent issues within the criminal justice system, such as blood pardons, inadequately developed legislation, and restrictive interpretations of the law. Pakistan has made commitments to numerous international conventions and treaties, which require the country to protect women's rights and tackle gender-based violence in a meaningful way. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) stand as essential pillars in the ongoing struggle for equality and justice worldwide. Pakistan must eliminate discriminatory practices and ensure equal protection for women as per these agreements. Pakistan, as an Islamic state, promotes spiritual equality for both men and women. Islam forbids intentional killing, including honour killings, asserting that justice belongs to Allah or the courts. Islam promotes ethical principles for all individuals and prohibits causing harm or taking the life of a woman for failing to fulfil expectations. The Quran's guidance is applicable to all genders. The antiquated notion that ties family honour exclusively to the behaviour of women and rationalizes violence needs to be reformed. These actions are a more significant wrongdoing than the one under scrutiny. Education, awareness, and open dialogue are crucial for dismantling these harmful conventions. Elders, teachers, and religious leaders must define the true meanings of Islam and the law. The recent tragedy in Baluchistan, the murder of Qandeel Baloch, and the killing of a 13-year-old girl in Bolan district highlight the critical necessity for justice in Pakistan to be both inclusive and compassionate. Honour killings should be firmly denounced, no matter where they originate, whether from a jirga, family, or misguided customs. To put an end to violence and ensure justice, it is essential to uphold the law, rectify existing gaps, and shift societal attitudes and beliefs. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
HRCP reports 405 honour killings in Pakistan in 2024, most victims women
Listen to article Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) recorded at least 405 honour killings across the country in 2024. Most victims are women, often killed by relatives claiming to defend family honour. While hundreds of so-called honour killings are reported in Pakistan each year, often with little public or legal response, the video of a woman and man being taken to a remote area by a group of men to be killed has struck a nerve. A viral video of the "honour killing" of a woman and man in Balochistan has ignited national outrage, prompting scrutiny of long-standing tribal codes and calls for justice in a country where such killings often pass in silence. The authorities have made at least 16 arrests in the case thus far. The video shows the woman, Bano Bibi, being handed a copy of the Holy Quran by a man identified by police as her brother. "Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me," she says, and she walks forward a few feet and stops with her back to the men. The brother, Jalal Satakzai, then shoots her three times and she collapses. Seconds later he shoots and kills the man, Ehsanullah Samalani. Once the video of the killings in Balochistan went viral, it brought swift government action and condemnation from politicians, rights groups and clerics. Civil rights lawyer Jibran Nasir said, though, the government's response was more about performance than justice. "The crime occurred months ago, not in secrecy but near a provincial capital, yet no one acted until 240 million witnessed the killing on camera," he said. "This isn't a response to a crime. It's a response to a viral moment." Read: Brutal 'honour killing' caught on video sparks nationwide outrage Police have arrested 16 people in Balochistan's Nasirabad district, including a tribal chief and the woman's mother. The mother, Gul Jan Bibi, said the killings were carried out by family and local elders based on "centuries-old Baloch traditions", and not on the orders of the tribal chief. "We did not commit any sin," she said in a video statement that also went viral. "Bano and Ehsan were killed according to our customs." She said her daughter, who had three sons and two daughters, had run away with Ehsan and returned after 25 days. Bano and Ehsan were killed according to our customs Victim's mother Police said Bano's younger brother, who shot the couple, remains at large. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said it was a "test" case and vowed to dismantle the illegal tribal courts operating outside the law. Police had earlier said a jirga, an informal tribal council that issues extrajudicial rulings, had ordered the killings. #JusticeForCouple The video sparked online condemnation, with hashtags like #JusticeForCouple and #HonourKilling trending. The Pakistan Ulema Council, a body of religious scholars, called the killings "un-Islamic" and urged terrorism charges against those involved. Dozens of civil society members and rights activists staged a protest on Saturday in the provincial capital Quetta, demanding justice and an end to parallel justice systems. "Virality is a double-edged sword," said Arsalan Khan, a cultural anthropologist and professor who studies gender and masculinity. "It can pressure the state into action, but public spectacle can also serve as a strategy to restore ghairat, or perceived family honour, in the eyes of the community." The government outlawed honour killings in 2016 after the murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch, closing a loophole that allowed perpetrators to go free if they were pardoned by family members. Rights groups say enforcement remains weak, especially in rural areas where tribal councils still hold sway. "In a country where conviction rates often fall to single digits, visibility - and the uproar it brings - has its advantages," said constitutional lawyer Asad Rahim Khan. Read more: Three killed in honor-related incident in Bajaur "It jolts a complacent state that continues to tolerate jirgas in areas beyond its writ." Khan said rather than enforcing the law, the government has spent the past year weakening the judiciary and even considering reviving jirgas in former tribal areas. "It's executive inaction, most shamefully toward women in Balochistan," Khan said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in recent months has asked senior ministers to evaluate proposals to revive jirgas in Pakistan's former tribal districts, including potential engagement with tribal elders and Afghan authorities. The Prime Minister's Office and Pakistan's information minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Viral and then forgetten? The Balochistan killings were raised in the Senate, where the human rights committee condemned the murders and called for action against those who convened the jirga. Lawmakers also warned that impunity for parallel justice systems risked encouraging similar violence. Activists and analysts, however, say the outrage is unlikely to be sustained. "There's noise now, but like every time, it will fade," said Jalila Haider, a human rights lawyer in Quetta. "In many areas, there is no writ of law, no enforcement. Only silence." Haider said the killings underscore the state's failure to protect citizens in under-governed regions like Balochistan, where tribal power structures fill the vacuum left by absent courts and police. "It's not enough to just condemn jirgas," Haider said. "The real question is: why does the state allow them to exist in the first place?"
DW
3 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Leading Pakistan rights group decries government crackdown – DW – 07/26/2025
One of Pakistan's most prominent civil rights organizations has said it faces intimidation and harassment from authorities, warning of a widespread threat to rights advocacy in the country. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), an independent civil rights group, has warned that its operations are being affected due to pressure from Pakistani authorities. "In the past few months, HRCP has faced a series of arbitrary, illegal and unjustified actions that have impeded the organization's ability to carry out its mandate," the commission said in a statement released earlier in July. Harris Khalique, HRCP's secretary-general, told DW that the group has been facing "unprecedented pressure." "Authorities prevent us from organizing events and create disruptions. They have sealed the HRCP's Lahore office, frozen our bank accounts, claiming it is involved in commercial activities, and have blocked our electricity meters while issuing inflated bills," he said. Events organized in various cities were obstructed, and staff received threatening phone calls warning them against discussing topics considered sensitive. "We are against both violence and militancy. Individuals claiming to represent security agencies, along with those identifying as officials from the Interior Ministry, are threatening our female staff," said Khalique. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The HRCP was co-founded in 1987 by late lawyer and activist Asma Jahangir, former Supreme Court Justice Dorab Patel and former Air Force Chief of Staff Zafar Chaudhry. It has since grown into Pakistan's leading human rights organization. The HRCP has consistently acted as an independent and credible advocate for civil liberties, both within Pakistan and on the global stage. Amid pressure from authorities, the HRCP has voiced significant concern regarding the increasingly shrinking space for human rights advocacy in Pakistan. The security situation in Pakistan has deteriorated in recent years, with militant attacks occurring regularly. In the southwest, security forces are engaged in a long-standing conflict with Baloch separatist militants. Pakistan's foremost opposition party, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was not allowed to contest the 2024 election as a party, resulting in violent protests and a crackdown on its members and supporters. Khan remains imprisoned on various charges, which his party has said are politically motivated. The government has denied pressuring the HRCP, and says it is taking measures to ensure security. "The standard operating procedures are in place for events due to security concerns and there are ongoing protests in the country. We have put no restrictions on freedom of expression, " Talal Chaudhry, state minister of interior, told DW. Chaudhry added that "online events are also being conducted without any limitations, and the state is not restricting them." But Hina Jilani, a human rights advocate and member of the HRCP's council, disputes this claim. "The government is employing tactics to silence the group activities. Our events are being obstructed and there are efforts to introduce laws that could impact our finances, hindering our ability to carry out the work," she told DW. Jilani cited two examples of the government placing bureaucratic hurdles that prevented an HRCP community outreach event from taking place in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, and a roundtable discussion in Islamabad focused on the human rights situation in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan province. Jilani said the government crackdown threatens the "HRCP's autonomy and poses a significant risk to the human rights of the people of Pakistan." The human rights situation in Pakistan remains marked by inadequate judicial protection and rising authoritarianism. According to Amnesty International's 2024 report on Pakistan, authorities "weaponized laws" on defamation and hate speech as the security situation deteriorated amid militant attacks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Amnesty cited dozens of examples of legal measures to suppress opposition parties, particularly targeting Imran Khan's PTI following protests in May 2023. More than 80 people were imprisoned in connection with the protests after "secret trials." Freedom of the press and freedom of assembly have also been severely curtailed. "Enforced disappearances continued unabated, targeting journalists, activists, students, comedians, political opponents and families of political opponents," the Amnesty report said. In 2024, Pakistan's democracy ranking fell six places, placing it among the "top 10 worst performers" in the Democracy Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Independent media outlets are facing increasing pressure, censorship and economic hardship. Social media platforms are often restricted during protests or political events. "Pakistan has become a completely authoritarian regime, there are no courts, there is no media, they have broken the civil society," Imaan Mazari, a rights activist and lawyer, told DW. "The human rights situation in Pakistan is deplorable and effectively we are living in a martial law," she added. However, HRCP leader Khalique remains optimistic and said the commission will continue its work and "persist in efforts to advocate for the rights of the people of Pakistan." On pressure from the government, Khalique said he hopes for more cooperation in the future. "We are critical friends, not adversaries, and we aspire for a healthy society and a strong country," he said. "We are an independent organization that strives to remain neutral and evidence based. We cannot compromise our integrity." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
