“A WOMAN was shot dead by family members for marrying a person without their consent,” a common news we hear and read daily. I guess none of us pays any serious attention to the report behind it.

Why are mostly women killed by their family members whenever they do something without the so-called ‘approval’ of their family?A recent example is of Nazir Hussain, 35, who shot dead his two sisters a day before their wedding because they had chosen their own husbands.

International human rights organisations have devoted budgets and campaigns for ending honour killings in Pakistan. To prevent this murder of humanity, we have to disown the culture that promotes and encourages ‘honour killings’ .

A joint session of parliament unanimously passed a legislation against honour killings three months after the high-profile murder of an outspoken social media star. The bill was passed by parliament in October last. Under the new law, perpetrators will get a mandatory 25-year-long prison sentence. Previously, killers could be pardoned by the victim’s family and be freed. The law should be implemented strictly.

Umar Sadat Khan

Lucky Marwat

Published in Dawn December 28th, 2016