It began with a young woman in my neighborhood, around 20 years old, gunned down by her father for rejecting a marriage proposal from his nephew. She had dared to say no. When her mother attempted to intervene, she was pushed aside. The father, rather than reflecting, pulled the trigger.
Later that day, I learned about Sana, a 17-year-old TikTok star, who was murdered by Umar Hayat, for the same “offence”: she had refused her friendship proposal. These tragedies are not random incidents. They are part of a terrifying cycle of honor-based violence, in which women’s lives are being ended for exercising agency over their own decisions: in marriage, in relationships, in dress, or even just in thought.
We remember Noor Muqaddam, beheaded by Zahir Jaffer for attempting to leave him. Qandeel Baloch, strangled by her brother because she was too bold and unapologetic. Samia Shahid, brutally killed by her father for marrying without the family’s approval.
What ties all these accounts together is not the violence, it’s the ideology. A system of beliefs so ingrained that even educated men, I saw during a university debate of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary “A Girl in the River,” supported killing in the name of “honor” openly. One of my classmates said, without hesitation, “If my sister ever did this, I’d kill her too.”
Pakistan has some of the world’s highest numbers of honor killings. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) states that 346 individuals were murdered in the name of ‘honor’ between January and November 2024 alone, with the highest incidence reported in Punjab and Sindh. In 2023, there were 490 honor killing incidents, and in 2022, it was 590. These are not merely statistics. Each number holds a life, with dreams, aspirations, and humanity, ruined by a sick sense of pride. Human rights activists estimate that approximately 1,000 women are killed annually in Pakistan in the name of honor. This figure could be even higher, as many cases go unreported or are wrongly registered as suicide or accidents.
It was for the first time that Pakistan handled the issue legally in 2004, when honor killings were defined under Section 299 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). This law was, however, toothless in reality. As murder under Section 302 was compoundable, families forgave the killer, mostly a relative, and no legal actions ensued.
It took until the 2016 Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences in the Name or Pretext of Honor) Act for this significant change. Inspired by the outrage across the country at Qandeel Baloch’s murder, the act included Section 311, which enables the state to be the complainant in honor killings. It renders the offence as non-compoundable, meaning that even if the family pardons the offender, they will be taken to trial.
Section 311 ensures that the killer is punished even if he has been forgiven by the family. The punishment can be life imprisonment or death.” However, the law is not being enforced. Enforcement is still weak because there are old-fashioned legal proceedings and issues with evidence: “Without confession or good evidence, it’s a difficult task to establish an ‘honor’ motive. The court still has too much discretion, and the majority of murderers are set free.”
This is compounded by Pakistan’s 1860 colonial legal system, structurally unable to deal with the complexities of contemporary gender-based crime. Cultural taboos, police unwillingness, and social pressures all contribute to inadequate investigations and light sentences.
Honor killings are not about religion. They are about control. Control over women’s choices, bodies, and futures. It’s a deeply patriarchal construct where a family’s “honor” rests precariously on the obedience and chastity of its female members, while men remain above reproach. Until this mindset changes, in homes, in classrooms, in police stations, and courtrooms, no law will be enough.
We must stop calling these crimes “honor killings.” There is no honor in killing. Whether it’s a father, brother, or husband, killing a woman for choosing her partner, refusing a marriage proposal, or exercising autonomy of will is nothing more than a premeditated act of gendered violence.
This violence not only takes lives; it destroys our shared humanity. The young woman killed near my house was someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, someone who simply wanted the right to say no. Until we address the deep-rooted misogyny in our homes, schools, and courts, she won’t be the last. “Honor cannot be built on women’s blood. It needs to be rebuilt on justice, freedom, and dignity for everyone.”