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QUETTA: A total of 81 cases of honour killings were reported in Balochistan during 2011. It was a marked rise in the reported cases of honour killings in 2011 as only 36 cases of honour killings were reported in 2010 during the same span of time, said the Regional Director Aurat Foundation Haroon Daood while addressing the participants during the launching of pilot study by the Dr Maliha Zia on Honour killings in Pakistan and compliance of law here at local hotel on Friday.
Former Balochistan MPA Dr Shama Ishaq, renowned lawyer Umer Mandokhail, representatives of NGOs, media and members civil society attended the ceremony.
Regional Director Aurat Foundation revealed that as per survey conducted by the Aurat Foundation, women in 90 percent cases of honour killings were not guilty and the cases based on malicious intention.
Out of total 81 people who were killed in the name of honour killing in Balochistan, only 25 were male, he added.
He deplored that honour killing has become an introduction of Balochistan. Word “honour killing” has made the lives of women folk miserable in interior parts of the province where they are being treated as if they were not the human beings, he maintained.
He noted that it was not the tradition and custom of the Baloch but this evil has transferred to Balochistan through the areas borders with the Sindh province.
Expressing his dismay over the sense of pride which prevails among the people after committing this crime, he said that in men-dominated societies man exceeds its limit by violating the rights of women.
Women are deprived of their rights sometimes on the name of religion and sometimes on the name of honour, Haroon added.
Dr Shama Ishaq, former MPA demanded for implementing existing laws to end violence against women. She alleged that presently the law was not implemented in letter and spirit that causing increase in violence against women. She urged upon people from all segment of society to raise voice for the rights of women.
Referring the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2004, she called for effective implementation of the law and stressed that there was need to create awareness among the masses about the law.
Advocate Umer Mandokhail said that after the introduction of Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2004 section 311 has been omitted under which accused involved in honour killings used to get only 14 years of imprisonment.
Under the Amended law 2004 now as per section 302 accused would either get death penalty or life imprisonment in honour killing cases.
Earlier, the speakers defining main findings of the pilot study by the Maliha Zia on honour killings and compliance of law gave suggestions to remove the loopholes and ensure more protection to the women folk.
They suggested that the option of Qisas and Diyat be removed form the Act, standard format for recording data be adopted, and standard format for registration of FIR be decided upon.
