NG honour in sight ECENTLY, a woman and man were shot dead in Mansehra by another man who fled the scene after reportedly confessing to the crime to the woman’s husband. Though few other details about the case are known at this point, the murder was classified as an ‘honour’ killing, in a long list of similar acts of violence. Despite the inclusion of harsher punishments in the anti- honour killing law of 2016, such murders are pervasive in Pakistan. One only needs to scan local newspapers, filled wit violence each day, to get a sense of the scale of killings are rooted in an enti which attempts to control turn, with little accountabi as conviction rates continue to reme As | rates remain low, it is unlikely any law that is passed will act as a deterrent. According to human rights organisations, around 1,000 women are killed each year under the pretext of ‘honour’, although this figure is indefinite, as many cases are never reported. This includes a 16-year-old girl who was stabbed to death by her father in August 2020; a 24-year-old woman from Jamshoro, who was pelted with stones and beaten to death by her husband and brother-in-law in June 2020; and two teenage sisters in North Waziristan, pets by their relatives in May 2020. . ome is meant to be a sanctua i start feeling like a prison. Seacetete! Pe cas ae oe and the lockdowns enforced in different parts of th Bees domestic violence cases i Tuan ases increased by 200pc, according to data collected by domestic violence helplines last year. Heari jai petition in September 2020, Justice Qazi Fa a remanent ae He prord‘hnifur’ should Be TORS ez Isa Temarked thape eolence en referring to such acts of to remove justification, Ui i eee Infortunately, a woman’s life is : 2 . who were