Published August 3rd 2025
21 year old Laiba Farooq from the small village of Jared, in Balakot, stayed temporarily in Qalandarabad, Abbottabad, to work. She stepped out of her rented apartment on the evening of May 20, 2024, and when she returned from her job at a beauty salon, a job that she loved and worked hard to make sure an accident was expecting her.
Previously, she had lived in several foreign cities, trained abroad and returned home each time with a renewed sense of purpose, determined to learn new skills and create a life for herself. But the bad night a man was waiting for her near her building. As she came close, walked towards him, and was unaware of his presence, he approached her without hesitation and opened fire against her. The bullet hit her in the stomach.
The neighbors rushed to her to the hospital, but despite their efforts, Laiba’s injured were deadly. The attacker was caught on the spot. To everyone’s horror, it was her older brother named Mazhar Shah.
In police custody, the defendant person admitted to the crime and said he had killed his sister because she had shamed the family. He had punished her because Laiba had denied his repeated demands to leave his job, return to his family and live in the quiet and hidden life expected by women in their village.
Laiba’s death was not an isolated event. It is part of a terrible pattern that extends over geography, class and culture. It is a manifestation of honor, an abstract code that appreciates family reputation over individual autonomy, especially women. These are the so -called ‘honor killings’, a practice that spans generations and cultures, perpetuated by a deeply rooted belief system where family reputation takes precedence to individual rights, especially women’s rights.
Honorary killings are not limited to a particular culture, religion or ethnicity. The practice has its roots in old legal systems, such as the Code of Hammurabi, which connected women’s life to male guardianship. This belief was further immortalized in Roman law, where women were considered men’s property. Even in modern times, the practice of honor killings has been found across different regions, from South Asia to the Middle East, parts of Africa and even within immigrant communities in Western countries.
In Pakistan, honor killings are referred by different names in different regions: Karo Kari in Sindh, Kala Kali in Punjab, Tor Tora in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Siyah Kari in Balochistan. Despite these regional differences, the rationale behind each case is the same: to punish behavior that allegedly stains the honor of the family.
But what qualifies as disgrace? And why is honor so colored? For the perpetrators of these crimes, it could be almost anything. Women who work outside the home choose their own partners speak against abuse, wearing clothes that are considered inappropriate or simply to exist in a public space, everyone can be considered offenses against family honor. In these patriarchal communities, women are expected to adhere to rigid norms that limit their personal freedom. When they break away from these expectations, their lives are often at risk.
Pakistan has made some progress and taken legislative steps to tackle honor killings.
In 2016, the country adopted Anti-Honour Killing Laws or a Criminal Change Act, a landmark reform that made honorary killings non-connection. This means that family members can no longer pardon perpetrators, a legal logging hole that had been exploited for years. While the law has changed, however, the practical challenges remain with enforcement. Many police officers, especially in rural or conservative areas, are hesitant to file cases related to honor killings. Witnesses often refuse to witness, and even when they do, they are often frightened. Survivors from attempted honor killings often live with fear of retaliation for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, Jirga’s illegal but still functional often settles these issues outside the courtroom, and offers impunity that is joined by tradition.
Honorary killings do not happen in a vacuum. They are deeply intertwined with the socio -economic conditions of the communities where they occur. In many areas, women remain dependent on their families who often see them as obligations rather than individuals with rights. They are discouraged from working, refused access to inheritance and learned that obedience is the greatest virtue. In such an environment, any attempt to break free from these restrictions is seen as a trouble action, one to be punished.
For Laiba was to move abroad and work in healthcare her way of rewriting her story. When she returned, however, she found herself withdrawn in the grip of family expectations. The decision to work on a beauty salon and live alone in a rented apartment was seen as a challenge for the traditional norms that governed her community. This one despite her family became the reason for her death.
The Mansehra case where a young girl was killed after a video of her became viral demonstrates the same patterns. While the video may have triggered the violence, it was the girl’s visibility and autonomy that marked her as a goal. The ability to live independently, to exist outside her family control was seen as a threat to the family’s honor, and that is what ultimately led to her death.
The face of honor killing may change from province to province, but the influence remains devastating and consistent.
In Punjab, for example, especially in rural areas such as Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur, cases of Kala Kali are often reported. The traditional Panchayat system, similar to Jirga, continues to operate despite legal ban. In these areas, even minor violations such as an alleged elopement or simple interaction with a boy can lead to deadly consequences.
In Sindh, the practice of Karo Kari is also deeply rooted. The expression itself involves deleting those accused of disgrace. In some cases, victims are publicly killed as a form of punishment and to send a message to society. Human Rights activists in the region claim that tribal affairs and political protection screen perpetrators of the consequences of their actions, leaving many victims’ families powerless.
Meanwhile in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the practice of Tor Tora is often associated with tribal codes for honor. In the remote areas of KP, where formal police work is weak or non-existent, the authority of Jirgas means that women have little chance of escaping the oppressive control of their families. This system often operates outside the law of law, and decisions on life and death are made by the elders with little consideration of the rights of the persons involved.
In Balochistan, the practice of honor killing is just as pervasive. Here the concept of collective punishment prevails: If a family member is accused of dishonor, another relative may be killed in their place. Some families even parades the defendants before executing them, which further confirms their authority over life and death in their community.
Although legal reforms have been introduced, they are still inadequate to tackle the systemic issues that allow honor killings to continue. Strengthening law enforcement, especially in rural areas, is important. In addition, it is crucial. The state must also provide greater support to the survivors by offering shelters, legal aid and relocation programs to help them escape the violence cycle. Furthermore, investment in education, especially for girls, can help strengthen future generations to break free from these deeply rooted traditions.
But legal reform is only part of the solution. The fight against honor killings also requires change of the underlying cultural norms that allow these crimes to continue. Changing the mind takes time, but it is important if we are to prevent further tragedies. Education plays a critical role in this. It is only by creating awareness, challenging deeply sitting conviction and promoting the idea that women have the same rights as men as we can hope to see real progress.
Furthermore, economic independence is a key factor to reduce women’s vulnerability to honor-based violence. If women are able to support themselves financially, they will have more autonomy and control over their lives. Initiatives that provide financial independence, access to education and social support systems can go a long way in preventing these killings.
It is also important to recognize the role of civil society in the fight against honor killings. Women’s rights groups, local NGOs and grassroots activists often act as the first line of defense for those facing these horrors. These organizations operate safe houses, provide legal assistance and document cases that can otherwise be buried. Their work is crucial to pressing for change, but they often face considerable resistance, both from the state and from conservative elements of society.
International pressure has also played a role in encouraging legal reforms. Pakistan is signing for several UN Conventions on Gender Rights, and this is facing regular control in international human rights forums. But meaningful change must come from within. It is important for Pakistan’s own civil society, decision makers and legal institutions to take a stronger position against honor killings and work to run the cultural structures that perpetuate them.
The fight against honor killings is not just about changing laws. It’s about changing the way we think of honor, tradition and family. Until we stop equating a woman’s worth with her obedience and submission, and until we stop attaching a family’s reputation with the actions of its female members, these killings will continue.
Every case, every protest and every survivor who dares to speak, brings us a step closer to a future where women’s life is no longer seen as the award of honor.
Manahil Sana is a psychology -who explores mental health stigmas, the effect of positive thinking and gender inequality.
All facts and information are the author’s only responsibility.
