Colombo, March 15 – The continued cycle of honor killings across Pakistan reflects a legal framework that has long provided a way out for perpetrators under the guise of religious justice.
Cases from different provinces and social classes underscore a troubling truth – despite legal reforms and public outrage, the horrific killings remain deeply entrenched in Pakistan's social fabric, a report has said.
"Ten years have passed since the brutal murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, who was the victim of an 'honor' killing orchestrated by her brother. Her killing shocked Pakistan and led to legal reforms that reclassified honor killings as crimes against humanity, prompting police to register such cases under Sections 302 and 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Despite the 2016 amendments to the law, the violence has not abated. In fact, it has become more visible and more brazen," a report in the Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror detailed.
"Patriarchy, sexism, rising misogyny, and toxic masculinity in Pakistani society are key drivers for the persistence of the notions around 'honor/dishonor,' which are seen as residing in women's bodies," it added.
Citing a US-based advocacy group, Human Rights Watch, the report said that nearly a thousand women are killed each year in Pakistan under the pretext of honor – a figure that has remained largely unchanged despite legislative reform.
In July 2025, a horrifying video circulated on social media, showing the execution of a young woman and a man who had married against their families' wishes, with the unnamed pair reportedly shot dead on the orders of a tribal jirga in Balochistan.
"The footage was chilling: the woman, wrapped in a shawl, stood motionless as a man fired at her from close range. She remained standing after two shots, collapsing only after the third. Moments later, the camera revealed a bloodied man lying near her body. Gunmen continued to fire at both victims as they lay on the ground. The video sparked national outrage, with hashtags like 'Justice For Couple' and 'Honor Killing' trending across Pakistan," the report mentioned.
"In parliament, senators condemned the murders and demanded action against those who convened the jirga, warning that impunity for such parallel justice systems only emboldened further violence. The killings underscored the state's failure to protect its citizens in under-governed regions like Balochistan, where tribal power structures fill the vacuum left by absent courts and ineffective policing," it noted.
Highlighting the menace of honor killings across Pakistan, the report said, "The fact remains that the state's complacency has allowed jirgas to flourish in areas beyond its writ. Instead of enforcing the law, the government has spent the past year weakening the judiciary and even considering reviving jirgas in former tribal districts."