Three persons, including a woman, were killed in Jhal Magsi and Bhag in the name of ‘honour.’
According to the details, a woman was strangled to death in the name of ‘honour’ on Friday night in Bhag area of Balochistan. The killer fled the scene and has not been arrested yet.
In Jhal Magsi, a father shot her 14-year-old daughter and another man dead in the name of ‘honour.’
Honour killing is legally defined as: “Offence committed in the name or on the pretext of honour means an offence committed in the name or on the pretext of karo kari [ literally ‘Black deed’ in Sindhi], siyah kari [literally ‘Black deed’ in Balochi] in or similar other customs or practices.” ٰٰIt is thought that the stigma can only be expunged with the murder of the accused.
Pakistan has the highest number of documented honour killings per capita in the world – one-fifth of the world’s honour killings occur in Pakistan. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, more than 15000 people were killed from 2004-2016 in the name of ‘honour.’ Even though honour killings are supposedly gender-neutral, a significant majority of the victims are woman, even minors are victimized. Of the 837 women killed in 2014 in Pakistan in the name of ‘honour’, 75 were minors.
In many ways, Balochistan is insulated from the rest of the region which makes it a particular hothouse for honour killings. The educational infrastructure of Balochistan is abysmal and Governmental or Non-Governmental organizations seldom venture in the Baloch soil to run campaigns and educate masses on these sensitive issues. The lack of connectivity is also a reason why Balochistan is so mired in ancient, anachronistic beliefs and practices, of which honour killing is one.