When it comes to murdered social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, there is no doubt that she was a polarising figure in Pakistan. Her Internet posts, often considered controversial in an overwhelmingly orthodox society, created quite a storm. But she did not deserve to be murdered for this rebellion or insistence on being true to herself. In a June 14 Facebook post, Baloch spoke about &quot;girlpower&quot; and a month later, on July 15, she was strangled to death by her brother, in what is undoubtedly a case of honour killing. 
 
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In Pakistan, hundreds of women become victims of honour killing which is a pervasive part of a culture where family honour is irrevocably tied to the women. Any deviation, however minor, is considered to be damaging. Perpetrators are in most cases family members who are unhappy with the actions of the &lsquo;errant&rsquo; woman. Most honour killings occur when the family disagrees to a woman&#39;s choice of husband or partner. Sometimes, both the husband and wife are murdered in cold blood. Although many politicians and religious leaders have denounced the practice, a glaring legal loophole has turned honour killing into a righteous concept. When the law says that the accused - often relatives - can go scot-free if the family of the victim pardons the murder, one can hardly expect any justice. 
&nbsp; 
It was in 2013 when Qandeel Baloch&rsquo;s audition for Pakistan Idol brought her fame and recognition, and she quickly became an Internet sensation. 
 
Baloch was everything a Pakistani woman should not be: sexy, provocative and defiant of social norms. She even had a tattoo on her chest. 
 
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In the last several weeks, she was widely talked about in the media for her controversial selfies with cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi. She claimed she had a desire to learn about Islam and wanted to become a better Muslim and sought Mufti Abdul Qavi&rsquo;s advice. Their meeting however was in a private hotel room during the holy month of Ramzan. Selfies and videos of the pair alone in the hotel room quickly went viral. The pictures (image below) were deemed inappropriate and the Mufti was quickly suspended from his position. 
 
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Earlier this year, Qandeel Baloch promised to perform a striptease for the Pakistani cricket team if they won their T20 cricket match against India. 
 
Pakistani men, like in other parts of the subcontinent, have a predominantly conservative mindset, a direct result of feudal patriarchy. As per such standards, Baloch did the exact opposite of how a woman should have acted in public. Her persona was something to be admired, for she was fearless and mostly acted and spoke as she wanted. But it was this free spirit that got her killed in the end. 
 
A part of the Pakistani society condemned the killing and called for her brother to be imprisoned, while the rest believed that Baloch got what she deserved. No woman should feel threatened by her family, especially in her parent&rsquo;s home. The Anti-Honour Killing Bill was passed earlier this year due to public pressure. The Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed documentary on honour killings, &#39;A Girl in the River&#39;, which won an Oscar, also added to the pressure. 
 
However, perpetrators are hardly ever brought to justice by the law enforcement agencies here and a lot more needs to be done before Pakistani women start feeling safe in their own homes. 
 
Women in Pakistan are scrutinised for everything they do. Their actions, the way they dress, the way they speak, the way they wear their makeup are all judged. In Pakistan, a woman is expected to behave in a certain way and cover up so as to not attract attention. Qandeel Baloch sought everyone&rsquo;s attention and she always got it. Her brother killed her because he believed her action tainted the family&rsquo;s name and shamed him in the process. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RQaQsyhx0LI" width="500"></iframe> 
 
What he didn&rsquo;t understand is that Baloch was, in a sense, helping the cause of women&rsquo;s liberation. She was a feminist. She believed that women had the right and the freedom to live their lives the way they wanted. In that light, Baloch may emerge as a symbol of the movement for gender equality in Pakistan. 
&nbsp; 
However, many young and old are calling this murder &ldquo;good riddance.&rdquo; Baloch wasn&rsquo;t publicly well received by many who believed she was &lsquo;vulgar&rsquo; and &lsquo;inappropriate&rsquo;. This mentality will lead to the killing of more women in the name of honour. Our society is so determined to keep women in line with Islamic beliefs and values, that they will even commit murder and then be able to justify it by bringing in &#39;honour&#39;. One can only hope that the senseless killing of Qandeel Baloch will open the eyes of Pakistan. Baloch represented more than just dramatics and Internet celebrityhood, she opened the door for women to express themselves. Hopefully, one day, women in Pakistan will be able to express themselves freely without having to lose their lives. 
 
(Images sourced from Baloch&#39;s Facebook page) 
&nbsp;

Baloch was everything a Pakistani woman should not be: sexy, provocative and defiant

When it comes to murdered social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, there is no doubt that she was a polarising figure in Pakistan. Her Internet posts, often considered controversial in an overwhelmingly orthodox society, created quite a storm. But she did not deserve to be murdered for this rebellion or insistence on being true to herself. In a June 14 Facebook post, Baloch spoke about "girlpower" and a month later, on July 15, she was strangled to death by her brother, in what is undoubtedly a case of honour killing. In Pakistan, hundreds of women become victims of honour killing which is a pervasive part of a culture where family honour is irrevocably tied to the women. Any deviation, however minor, is considered to be damaging. Perpetrators are in most cases family members who are unhappy with the actions of the ‘errant’ woman. Most honour killings occur when the family disagrees to a woman's choice of husband or partner. Sometimes, both the husband and wife are murdered in cold blood. Although many politicians and religious leaders have denounced the practice, a glaring legal loophole has turned honour killing into a righteous concept. When the law says that the accused - often relatives - can go scot-free if the family of the victim pardons the murder, one can hardly expect any justice. It was in 2013 when Qandeel Baloch’s audition for Pakistan Idol brought her fame and recognition, and she quickly became an Internet sensation. Baloch was everything a Pakistani woman should not be: sexy, provocative and defiant of social norms. She even had a tattoo on her chest. In the last several weeks, she was widely talked about in the media for her controversial selfies with cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi. She claimed she had a desire to learn about Islam and wanted to become a better Muslim and sought Mufti Abdul Qavi’s advice. Their meeting however was in a private hotel room during the holy month of Ramzan. Selfies and videos of the pair alone in the hotel room quickly went viral. The pictures (image below) were deemed inappropriate and the Mufti was quickly suspended from his position. Earlier this year, Qandeel Baloch promised to perform a striptease for the Pakistani cricket team if they won their T20 cricket match against India. Pakistani men, like in other parts of the subcontinent, have a predominantly conservative mindset, a direct result of feudal patriarchy. As per such standards, Baloch did the exact opposite of how a woman should have acted in public. Her persona was something to be admired, for she was fearless and mostly acted and spoke as she wanted. But it was this free spirit that got her killed in the end. A part of the Pakistani society condemned the killing and called for her brother to be imprisoned, while the rest believed that Baloch got what she deserved. No woman should feel threatened by her family, especially in her parent’s home. The Anti-Honour Killing Bill was passed earlier this year due to public pressure. The Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed documentary on honour killings, 'A Girl in the River', which won an Oscar, also added to the pressure. However, perpetrators are hardly ever brought to justice by the law enforcement agencies here and a lot more needs to be done before Pakistani women start feeling safe in their own homes. Women in Pakistan are scrutinised for everything they do. Their actions, the way they dress, the way they speak, the way they wear their makeup are all judged. In Pakistan, a woman is expected to behave in a certain way and cover up so as to not attract attention. Qandeel Baloch sought everyone’s attention and she always got it. Her brother killed her because he believed her action tainted the family’s name and shamed him in the process. What he didn’t understand is that Baloch was, in a sense, helping the cause of women’s liberation. She was a feminist. She believed that women had the right and the freedom to live their lives the way they wanted. In that light, Baloch may emerge as a symbol of the movement for gender equality in Pakistan. However, many young and old are calling this murder “good riddance.” Baloch wasn’t publicly well received by many who believed she was ‘vulgar’ and ‘inappropriate’. This mentality will lead to the killing of more women in the name of honour. Our society is so determined to keep women in line with Islamic beliefs and values, that they will even commit murder and then be able to justify it by bringing in 'honour'. One can only hope that the senseless killing of Qandeel Baloch will open the eyes of Pakistan. Baloch represented more than just dramatics and Internet celebrityhood, she opened the door for women to express themselves. Hopefully, one day, women in Pakistan will be able to express themselves freely without having to lose their lives. (Images sourced from Baloch's Facebook page)

The Qandeel Baloch saga: A society dishonoured

The brother of a murdered Pakistani celebrity said today he is &quot;not embarrassed&quot; to have killed her, as Qandeel Baloch&#39;s death reignited polarising calls for action against the &quot;epidemic&quot; of honour killings. 
 
The strangling of Baloch, judged by many in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan as infamous for selfies and videos that by Western standards would appear tame, has prompted shock and revulsion.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Yes of course, I strangled her,&quot; Baloch&#39;s brother Muhammad Wasim told reporters at a defiant press conference organised by police in the city of Multan early today. 
 
&quot;She was on the ground floor while our parents were asleep on the roof top,&quot; he continued. &quot;It was around 10.45pm when I gave her a tablet... and then killed her.&quot; 
 
Wasim said he acted alone.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am not embarrassed at all over what I did,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Whatever was the case, it (his sister&#39;s behaviour) was completely intolerable.&quot; 
 
Baloch, believed to be in her twenties and whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, was killed on Friday night at her family home near Multan. 
 
Her brother, arrested a day later after her father filed a police complaint against him for the killing, appeared in court briefly today ahead of another hearing set for Wednesday. 
 
Hundreds of women are murdered for &quot;honour&quot; every year in Pakistan. 
 
The killers overwhelmingly walk free because of a law that allows the family of the victim to forgive the murderer - who is often also a relative. 
 
A vigil held late Saturday in Lahore was attended by dozens of mourners, while an online petition entitled &#39;No Country for Bold Women&#39; and demanding accountability over Baloch&#39;s death had gained more than than 1,600 signatures today. 
 
A scathing editorial in Pakistan&#39;s biggest English-language newspaper Dawn said her murder must serve as &quot;impetus&quot; for anti-honour killing legislation. 
 
It lauded Baloch for &quot;breezily&quot; pushing the boundaries of what Pakistan considers &quot;acceptable&quot; behaviour for women, saying her determination to live on her own terms was &quot;in itself an act of courage&quot;. 
 
But many conservatives pushed back, with some echoing Wasim&#39;s statement by arguing that her family would have had &quot;no choice&quot;. 
 
Baloch was buried early today near her family home in southern Punjab.Some of Baloch&#39;s more notorious acts included volunteering to perform a striptease for the Pakistani cricket team, and donning a plunging scarlet dress on Valentine&#39;s Day.&nbsp; 
 
She also posed for selfies with a high-profile mullah in an incident that saw him swiftly rebuked by the country&#39;s religious affairs ministry. 
&nbsp; 
She told local media she had received death threats in the wake of the controversy, and that her requests for protection from authorities had been ignored.&nbsp; 
 
Initially dismissed as a Kim Kardashian-like figure, she was seen by some as empowered in a country where women have fought for their rights for decades. 
 
In her final Facebook post on July 4 she wrote how she was trying to &quot;change the typical orthodox mindset of people&quot;, and thanked her supporters for &quot;understanding the message i (sic) try to convey through my bold posts and videos&quot;. 
 
&quot;Qandeel was an extremely astute individual who knew that what she was doing was more than being the most loved bad girl of Pakistan,&quot; columnist and activist Aisha Sarawari said.&nbsp; 
 
Her killing &quot;defines yet another setback for the women of our generation... This makes it harder for women. Period&quot;. 
 
&quot;Many in Pakistan have laid blame for her death on her bold and provocative public acts,&quot; noted Benazir Jatoi, who works with the Aurat Foundation, a local NGO working on women&#39;s legal and political empowerment. 
 
&quot;Qandeel has put a face to the countless ordinary Pakistani women that are murdered because society has given carte blanche to men,&quot; she added. 
 
Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, whose documentary on honour killings won an Oscar earlier this year, slammed Baloch&#39;s murder as symptomatic of an &quot;epidemic&quot; of violence against women in Pakistan. 
 
Obaid-Chinoy&#39;s film &#39;A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness&#39; was hailed by Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who in February vowed to push through anti-honour killing legislation. 
 
No action has been taken since then. 
 
(AFP)

'No Country for Bold Women' an online petition demanding accountability for her death has already received 1,600 signatures

The brother of a murdered Pakistani celebrity said today he is "not embarrassed" to have killed her, as Qandeel Baloch's death reignited polarising calls for action against the "epidemic" of honour killings. The strangling of Baloch, judged by many in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan as infamous for selfies and videos that by Western standards would appear tame, has prompted shock and revulsion. "Yes of course, I strangled her," Baloch's brother Muhammad Wasim told reporters at a defiant press conference organised by police in the city of Multan early today. "She was on the ground floor while our parents were asleep on the roof top," he continued. "It was around 10.45pm when I gave her a tablet... and then killed her." Wasim said he acted alone. "I am not embarrassed at all over what I did," he said. "Whatever was the case, it (his sister's behaviour) was completely intolerable." Baloch, believed to be in her twenties and whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, was killed on Friday night at her family home near Multan. Her brother, arrested a day later after her father filed a police complaint against him for the killing, appeared in court briefly today ahead of another hearing set for Wednesday. Hundreds of women are murdered for "honour" every year in Pakistan. The killers overwhelmingly walk free because of a law that allows the family of the victim to forgive the murderer - who is often also a relative. A vigil held late Saturday in Lahore was attended by dozens of mourners, while an online petition entitled 'No Country for Bold Women' and demanding accountability over Baloch's death had gained more than than 1,600 signatures today. A scathing editorial in Pakistan's biggest English-language newspaper Dawn said her murder must serve as "impetus" for anti-honour killing legislation. It lauded Baloch for "breezily" pushing the boundaries of what Pakistan considers "acceptable" behaviour for women, saying her determination to live on her own terms was "in itself an act of courage". But many conservatives pushed back, with some echoing Wasim's statement by arguing that her family would have had "no choice". Baloch was buried early today near her family home in southern Punjab.Some of Baloch's more notorious acts included volunteering to perform a striptease for the Pakistani cricket team, and donning a plunging scarlet dress on Valentine's Day. She also posed for selfies with a high-profile mullah in an incident that saw him swiftly rebuked by the country's religious affairs ministry. She told local media she had received death threats in the wake of the controversy, and that her requests for protection from authorities had been ignored. Initially dismissed as a Kim Kardashian-like figure, she was seen by some as empowered in a country where women have fought for their rights for decades. In her final Facebook post on July 4 she wrote how she was trying to "change the typical orthodox mindset of people", and thanked her supporters for "understanding the message i (sic) try to convey through my bold posts and videos". "Qandeel was an extremely astute individual who knew that what she was doing was more than being the most loved bad girl of Pakistan," columnist and activist Aisha Sarawari said. Her killing "defines yet another setback for the women of our generation... This makes it harder for women. Period". "Many in Pakistan have laid blame for her death on her bold and provocative public acts," noted Benazir Jatoi, who works with the Aurat Foundation, a local NGO working on women's legal and political empowerment. "Qandeel has put a face to the countless ordinary Pakistani women that are murdered because society has given carte blanche to men," she added. Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, whose documentary on honour killings won an Oscar earlier this year, slammed Baloch's murder as symptomatic of an "epidemic" of violence against women in Pakistan. Obaid-Chinoy's film 'A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness' was hailed by Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who in February vowed to push through anti-honour killing legislation. No action has been taken since then. (AFP)

Qandeel Baloch's brother shows no signs of regret over strangling Pakistani model

The brother of Pakistan&#39;s social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch has been arrested in Punjab province for strangling to death the 26-year-old model for &quot;dishonouring&quot; the family&#39;s reputation, the latest case of honour killings that plague the country. 
 
Qandeel&#39;s younger brother Waseem was arrested in Dera Ghazi Khan late last night and later in a press conference he confessed that he drugged and strangled his sister. 
 
He said that he killed her as she brought &quot;dishonour to the Baloch name&quot; due to risque videos and statements that she posted on social media, the Dawn reported. 
 
&quot;There were other issues as well...Like the Maulvi issue,&quot; he said, in an apparent reference to a controversy surrounding Qandeel&#39;s selfies with Mufti Abdul Qavi, which hit the headlines last month. 
 
Her controversial pictures recently led to the suspension of Mufti Qawi&#39;s membership from the Ruet-e-Hilal committee. 
 
&quot;She wasn&#39;t aware I was killing her. I gave her a tablet and then strangled her,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The actor-cum-model was strangled to death in her house in Multan&#39;s Karimabad area in the early hours yesterday.&nbsp;Her father, Muhammad Azeem, claimed that she was killed by her younger brother Waseem in the name of honour. 
 
In his police complaint, Qandeel&#39;s father said his daughter came to Multan from Karachi to celebrate Eid with the family. He said Waseem, 25, also came to meet them on July 14.&nbsp;He said that he along with his wife went to sleep on the rooftop while Qandeel slept in a room where Waseem strangled her to death as he was against her working in showbiz. 
 
The father alleged that Waseem had taken this extreme step at the behest of his brother Mohammad Aslam Shaheen.&nbsp;Qandeel had received threats from her family to quit modelling and her provocative appearances on social media. Her brother had been threatening her over her Facebook posts and videos, the police said. 
 
Three weeks ago, she had written to the interior minister, the director general of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) and the senior superintendent of Islamabad asking them to provide security to her, the Dawn reported.&nbsp;She had said her life was in danger and that she was being threatened via calls on her mobile number and that she did not have security measures installed in her home, the paper said. 
 
Her real name was Fouzia Azeem but she chose Qandeel Baloch as her pseudonym after stepping into modelling.&nbsp;Qandeel became famous through her tireless self-promotion and suggestive &quot;selfies&quot; posted on social media, and had amassed tens of thousands of followers.&nbsp;She had expressed her desire many times to marry ex-cricketer, and opposition politician, Imran Khan. 
 
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to send Qandeel&#39;s body to her hometown of Shah Saddardin, in Dera Ghazi Khan, for burial. 
 
(PTI)

He killed his sister because he thought her risque videos and statements on social media brought 'dishonour to the Baloch name'

The brother of Pakistan's social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch has been arrested in Punjab province for strangling to death the 26-year-old model for "dishonouring" the family's reputation, the latest case of honour killings that plague the country. Qandeel's younger brother Waseem was arrested in Dera Ghazi Khan late last night and later in a press conference he confessed that he drugged and strangled his sister. He said that he killed her as she brought "dishonour to the Baloch name" due to risque videos and statements that she posted on social media, the Dawn reported. "There were other issues as well...Like the Maulvi issue," he said, in an apparent reference to a controversy surrounding Qandeel's selfies with Mufti Abdul Qavi, which hit the headlines last month. Her controversial pictures recently led to the suspension of Mufti Qawi's membership from the Ruet-e-Hilal committee. "She wasn't aware I was killing her. I gave her a tablet and then strangled her," he said. The actor-cum-model was strangled to death in her house in Multan's Karimabad area in the early hours yesterday. Her father, Muhammad Azeem, claimed that she was killed by her younger brother Waseem in the name of honour. In his police complaint, Qandeel's father said his daughter came to Multan from Karachi to celebrate Eid with the family. He said Waseem, 25, also came to meet them on July 14. He said that he along with his wife went to sleep on the rooftop while Qandeel slept in a room where Waseem strangled her to death as he was against her working in showbiz. The father alleged that Waseem had taken this extreme step at the behest of his brother Mohammad Aslam Shaheen. Qandeel had received threats from her family to quit modelling and her provocative appearances on social media. Her brother had been threatening her over her Facebook posts and videos, the police said. Three weeks ago, she had written to the interior minister, the director general of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) and the senior superintendent of Islamabad asking them to provide security to her, the Dawn reported. She had said her life was in danger and that she was being threatened via calls on her mobile number and that she did not have security measures installed in her home, the paper said. Her real name was Fouzia Azeem but she chose Qandeel Baloch as her pseudonym after stepping into modelling. Qandeel became famous through her tireless self-promotion and suggestive "selfies" posted on social media, and had amassed tens of thousands of followers. She had expressed her desire many times to marry ex-cricketer, and opposition politician, Imran Khan. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to send Qandeel's body to her hometown of Shah Saddardin, in Dera Ghazi Khan, for burial. (PTI)

Brother arrested for Qandeel Baloch's murder

This year at the Oscars, A Girl in the River: Price of Forgiveness caught the world&rsquo;s attention. It was based on the true story of Saba Qaiser, an 18-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the face by her father and her uncle for eloping with a man she loved- but she survived. Nevertheless, her father was proud of his gruesome act, and felt strongly it earned him the respect of his community. The poignant tale narrated in this documentary is commonplace in South Asia in most cases such instances are treated with absolute impunity.

When &ldquo;male honour&rdquo; is accorded supreme status, punishing any perceived breach with something otherwise flagrantly criminal and perverse is permitted by society in many such instances. At a screening of the film in his own residence Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister, stated,&rdquo;there is no place for killing in the name of honour in Islam, and anyone who does it should be punished severely&rdquo;. He said there was an urgent need to amend the law.

In Pakistan, the law allows victims or their families to forgive the perpetrator. Sometimes the victim faces intense pressure to forgive the perpetrator, and if the victim is killed her family has the right to forgive on her behalf. If forgiven, the perpetrator can avoid punishment. With time, the practice has become associated with anti-modern cultures.

Recently, in the aftermath of the killing of a teenager, Zeenat Rafiq, who married against her family&rsquo;s wishes, an Islamic religious body in Pakistan condemned honour killing, termed it &ldquo;unethical&rdquo; and &ldquo;unjustifiable&rdquo;. The General Secretary Mufti Saeed Rizvi of The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) mentioned, &ldquo;women are free to marry whomever they choose, if consented&rdquo;. He further added the root cause of honour killing is &ldquo;illiteracy&rdquo; and not religion. Killing of women in the name of &ldquo;honour&rdquo; is &ldquo;un-islamic&rdquo;. Around 40 clerics issued fatwa against honour killing. The clerics requested the government to draft a new legislation and stated, &ldquo;those guilty should be punished within a week&rdquo;. This was the third reported incident of honour killing in Pakistan since April. Unfortunately, most cases of honour killing remain unreported due to the influence of society and culture on the rule of law. 
 
The saga across the border 
 
The prevalence of honour killing as a cultural practice is deeply pervasive in India as well. On March 13, 2016, in a small Indian village called Udumalaipett, a young Dalit man named Shankar was attacked by three unidentified men armed with sickles. He died en route to the hospital. Shankar was targeted for marrying an upper caste Hindu girl. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) stated, &ldquo;the incident is a serious concern of safety especially for lower castes&rdquo;.

Tamil Nadu has seen 81 honour killings over the last three years. Unfortunately honour killings, though often reported, usually do not end up in conviction. The family who have perpetrated the honour killing tell authorities the victim committed suicide, so it isn&rsquo;t registered officially as a murder. The Tamil Nadu government has also dismissed the incident of honour killings. The state failed to submit its report on honour killings to the Supreme Court.

Around 80 per cent of honour killing victims are women. According to Mr. A Kathir, the managing director of Evidence, a Tamil Nadu-based NGO, &ldquo;84 per cent of Dalit women are into inter-caste marriage face humiliation due to marital discord&rdquo;. In 2007, there were 30 incidents of honour killing reported in just the western district of Tamil Nadu. Caste-based politics encourage a culture of mob violence. Such practices are only gaining in popularity, as the community considers this heinous crime heroic.

Religion also plays a pivotal role in rationalising honour killing. Therefore, it is imperative that a policy measure aiming to tackle the problem is premised on a multi-causal understanding of the problem and employs multi-pronged approaches towards solving this societal evil.

Women are at risk of being victims of honour-based crime wherever a woman&rsquo;s life means less than the locale&rsquo;s conception of honour. The Supreme Court in Lata Singh vs. State of UP &amp; Another observed, &ldquo;there is nothing honourable in honour killings. They are barbaric and brutal murders by bigoted, persons with feudal minds&rdquo;. The apex court further added, &ldquo;young couples fall in love to seek shelter in police lines or protection homes, to avoid the wrath of kangaroo courts&rdquo;. Despite the observation of the apex court, the practice remains unchecked to a large extent and the influence of such brutal &ldquo;kangaroo courts&rsquo; is being further emboldened.

International organisations&rsquo; opinion

The issue has received the attention of international community as well but measures taken thus far have remained ineffective to say the least. In 2001, the UN General Assembly urged for effective laws to fight honour killing in their first specific resolution on the topic. In 2002, the Special Rapporteur to UN reported the presence of honour killings in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Yemen and other Persian Gulf countries. In the West, France, Germany and UK were listed, where the practice is prevalent among migrants. In 2010, UK police claimed that honour-related crime in Britain increased by 47 per cent. As many as 2283 cases were reported from cities with high immigrant populations.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), recognised honour killings as an extreme symptom of discrimination against women. The then Chief of UNHCHR, Navi Pillay, claimed that the state institutions fail them and that honour killing isn&rsquo;t featured prominently enough in the news. The General Assembly, in three resolutions (2001, 2003 and 2005), said that Member States should intensify legislative, educational, social reforms&nbsp;and work on other efforts to prevent and eliminate honour crimes. Despite a call for action more than 11,000 cases of honour killing were reported by UK police between 2010-2014.

India&rsquo;s legal position on honour-based crime

According to the UN, out of 5000 reported&nbsp;international cases, 1000 are from India. The Hindu Marriage Disabilities Removal Act, 1946, was enacted to validate marriages between Hindus belonging to the same &ldquo;gotra&rdquo;, &ldquo;pravara&rdquo;, or different subdivisions of the same caste. The Supreme Court, in a landmark case, Arumugam Servai vs. State of Tamil Nadu, states, &ldquo;caste system is a curse upon the nation and the sooner it is destroyed the better&rdquo;. The apex court added that honour killing is, &ldquo;taking law into your own hands and indulging in offensive activities and endangering the lives of the persons who are willing to marry as per their choice&rdquo;. The practice followed by khap panchayats to restore honour was strongly lambasted by the court.

There&rsquo;s been speculation on whether a separate law distinguishing honour killing from murder would help prevent honour-based crime. Unfortunately our respected lawmakers have failed to develop a nuanced understanding of the problem. P. Chidambaram, the then Indian home minister, said, &ldquo;the demand for a special law is one that has been made most eloquently...the answer is not to make another law. Whatever law we make, honour killing is murder&rdquo;.

There are two bills meant to deter honour-based crime that are still pending before the parliament and despite strong condemnation from select lawmakers and civil society, it is uncertain whether these bills would see the light of day anytime in the near future. In the purview of one of the bills ,Section 300 of Indian Penal Code should include &quot;honour&nbsp;killings&quot;&nbsp;and the burden of proof on the accused. Further, the Bills also focus on the &quot;unlawful assemblies&quot;&nbsp;held by caste panchayats to prevent marriage by choice.

The proposed Bills have been framed after careful deliberation. If we observe the pattern of honour killing, it is evident it has signs of gendered violence and the notion of shame and honour results in atrocious violence. Elements of honour crime also include status anxiety governed by social convention and honourable masculinity. As per the National Crime Statistics Bureau, from 2010-2014, 25 per cent of murders in the name of honour were reported from Madhya Pradesh.

There is an inherent fallacy in any notion that attributes &#39;Honour&#39; to an act of killing. However, mere legislative change may not be able to address this societal evil. Honour killing as a concept hinges on regressive cultural mindset, lack of education and exposure and access to speedy justice. Thus, law is only one part of a larger strategy that needs to be adopted to counter this societal evil. It must be complemented with education which focuses in reconceptualising the notion of honour. For this citizenry, civil society and the law and order apparatus need to take proactive measures in initiating programs which provide self sufficiency avenues to women define honour through awareness campaigns and undertake sensitisation of law enforcement forces. We must not sacrifice the integral notion of human rights at the altar of regressive societal norms lest we may travel back in time to an antediluvian era.

Honour killing as a concept hinges on regressive cultural mindset, lack of education and exposure and access to speedy justice

This year at the Oscars, A Girl in the River: Price of Forgiveness caught the world’s attention. It was based on the true story of Saba Qaiser, an 18-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the face by her father and her uncle for eloping with a man she loved- but she survived. Nevertheless, her father was proud of his gruesome act, and felt strongly it earned him the respect of his community. The poignant tale narrated in this documentary is commonplace in South Asia in most cases such instances are treated with absolute impunity. When “male honour” is accorded supreme status, punishing any perceived breach with something otherwise flagrantly criminal and perverse is permitted by society in many such instances. At a screening of the film in his own residence Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, stated,”there is no place for killing in the name of honour in Islam, and anyone who does it should be punished severely”. He said there was an urgent need to amend the law. In Pakistan, the law allows victims or their families to forgive the perpetrator. Sometimes the victim faces intense pressure to forgive the perpetrator, and if the victim is killed her family has the right to forgive on her behalf. If forgiven, the perpetrator can avoid punishment. With time, the practice has become associated with anti-modern cultures. Recently, in the aftermath of the killing of a teenager, Zeenat Rafiq, who married against her family’s wishes, an Islamic religious body in Pakistan condemned honour killing, termed it “unethical” and “unjustifiable”. The General Secretary Mufti Saeed Rizvi of The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) mentioned, “women are free to marry whomever they choose, if consented”. He further added the root cause of honour killing is “illiteracy” and not religion. Killing of women in the name of “honour” is “un-islamic”. Around 40 clerics issued fatwa against honour killing. The clerics requested the government to draft a new legislation and stated, “those guilty should be punished within a week”. This was the third reported incident of honour killing in Pakistan since April. Unfortunately, most cases of honour killing remain unreported due to the influence of society and culture on the rule of law. The saga across the border The prevalence of honour killing as a cultural practice is deeply pervasive in India as well. On March 13, 2016, in a small Indian village called Udumalaipett, a young Dalit man named Shankar was attacked by three unidentified men armed with sickles. He died en route to the hospital. Shankar was targeted for marrying an upper caste Hindu girl. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) stated, “the incident is a serious concern of safety especially for lower castes”. Tamil Nadu has seen 81 honour killings over the last three years. Unfortunately honour killings, though often reported, usually do not end up in conviction. The family who have perpetrated the honour killing tell authorities the victim committed suicide, so it isn’t registered officially as a murder. The Tamil Nadu government has also dismissed the incident of honour killings. The state failed to submit its report on honour killings to the Supreme Court. Around 80 per cent of honour killing victims are women. According to Mr. A Kathir, the managing director of Evidence, a Tamil Nadu-based NGO, “84 per cent of Dalit women are into inter-caste marriage face humiliation due to marital discord”. In 2007, there were 30 incidents of honour killing reported in just the western district of Tamil Nadu. Caste-based politics encourage a culture of mob violence. Such practices are only gaining in popularity, as the community considers this heinous crime heroic. Religion also plays a pivotal role in rationalising honour killing. Therefore, it is imperative that a policy measure aiming to tackle the problem is premised on a multi-causal understanding of the problem and employs multi-pronged approaches towards solving this societal evil. Women are at risk of being victims of honour-based crime wherever a woman’s life means less than the locale’s conception of honour. The Supreme Court in Lata Singh vs. State of UP & Another observed, “there is nothing honourable in honour killings. They are barbaric and brutal murders by bigoted, persons with feudal minds”. The apex court further added, “young couples fall in love to seek shelter in police lines or protection homes, to avoid the wrath of kangaroo courts”. Despite the observation of the apex court, the practice remains unchecked to a large extent and the influence of such brutal “kangaroo courts’ is being further emboldened. International organisations’ opinion The issue has received the attention of international community as well but measures taken thus far have remained ineffective to say the least. In 2001, the UN General Assembly urged for effective laws to fight honour killing in their first specific resolution on the topic. In 2002, the Special Rapporteur to UN reported the presence of honour killings in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Yemen and other Persian Gulf countries. In the West, France, Germany and UK were listed, where the practice is prevalent among migrants. In 2010, UK police claimed that honour-related crime in Britain increased by 47 per cent. As many as 2283 cases were reported from cities with high immigrant populations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), recognised honour killings as an extreme symptom of discrimination against women. The then Chief of UNHCHR, Navi Pillay, claimed that the state institutions fail them and that honour killing isn’t featured prominently enough in the news. The General Assembly, in three resolutions (2001, 2003 and 2005), said that Member States should intensify legislative, educational, social reforms and work on other efforts to prevent and eliminate honour crimes. Despite a call for action more than 11,000 cases of honour killing were reported by UK police between 2010-2014. India’s legal position on honour-based crime According to the UN, out of 5000 reported international cases, 1000 are from India. The Hindu Marriage Disabilities Removal Act, 1946, was enacted to validate marriages between Hindus belonging to the same “gotra”, “pravara”, or different subdivisions of the same caste. The Supreme Court, in a landmark case, Arumugam Servai vs. State of Tamil Nadu, states, “caste system is a curse upon the nation and the sooner it is destroyed the better”. The apex court added that honour killing is, “taking law into your own hands and indulging in offensive activities and endangering the lives of the persons who are willing to marry as per their choice”. The practice followed by khap panchayats to restore honour was strongly lambasted by the court. There’s been speculation on whether a separate law distinguishing honour killing from murder would help prevent honour-based crime. Unfortunately our respected lawmakers have failed to develop a nuanced understanding of the problem. P. Chidambaram, the then Indian home minister, said, “the demand for a special law is one that has been made most eloquently...the answer is not to make another law. Whatever law we make, honour killing is murder”. There are two bills meant to deter honour-based crime that are still pending before the parliament and despite strong condemnation from select lawmakers and civil society, it is uncertain whether these bills would see the light of day anytime in the near future. In the purview of one of the bills ,Section 300 of Indian Penal Code should include "honour killings" and the burden of proof on the accused. Further, the Bills also focus on the "unlawful assemblies" held by caste panchayats to prevent marriage by choice. The proposed Bills have been framed after careful deliberation. If we observe the pattern of honour killing, it is evident it has signs of gendered violence and the notion of shame and honour results in atrocious violence. Elements of honour crime also include status anxiety governed by social convention and honourable masculinity. As per the National Crime Statistics Bureau, from 2010-2014, 25 per cent of murders in the name of honour were reported from Madhya Pradesh. There is an inherent fallacy in any notion that attributes 'Honour' to an act of killing. However, mere legislative change may not be able to address this societal evil. Honour killing as a concept hinges on regressive cultural mindset, lack of education and exposure and access to speedy justice. Thus, law is only one part of a larger strategy that needs to be adopted to counter this societal evil. It must be complemented with education which focuses in reconceptualising the notion of honour. For this citizenry, civil society and the law and order apparatus need to take proactive measures in initiating programs which provide self sufficiency avenues to women define honour through awareness campaigns and undertake sensitisation of law enforcement forces. We must not sacrifice the integral notion of human rights at the altar of regressive societal norms lest we may travel back in time to an antediluvian era.

An Honour Code for Tyranny

A heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been shot dead by her brother in Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province for marrying a man without the family&#39;s consent, the latest incident of &quot;honour killing&quot; in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother. 
 
Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his wife Aqsa, 26, were killed for &quot;honour&quot; by Aqsa&#39;s brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, police said. 
 
The couple were married for four years, and lived in Thikriwala village in the province. 
 
Four days ago Aqsa&#39;s brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple&#39;s home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them, the Express Tribune reported. 
 
The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night. 
 
Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre. 
 
Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil&#39;s father, Khushi Muhammad. 
 
An autopsy revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots to their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies. 
 
The autopsy report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days, the report said. 
 
The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run. 
 
Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in the province&#39;s Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families&#39; will. 
 
Last week an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice. 
 
At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. 
(PTI)

The woman and her husband were first beaten by her brother, uncle and another accomplice for. The bodies were recovered from a canal

A heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been shot dead by her brother in Pakistan's Punjab province for marrying a man without the family's consent, the latest incident of "honour killing" in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother. Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his wife Aqsa, 26, were killed for "honour" by Aqsa's brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, police said. The couple were married for four years, and lived in Thikriwala village in the province. Four days ago Aqsa's brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple's home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them, the Express Tribune reported. The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night. Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre. Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil's father, Khushi Muhammad. An autopsy revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots to their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies. The autopsy report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days, the report said. The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run. Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in the province's Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families' will. Last week an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice. At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. (PTI)

Pregnant Pakistani woman shot dead by brother for 'honour' after marrying a man without family's consent

<div style="text-align: justify;">Relatives slit the throat of a young mother, who was pregnant with her second child, after she married against their will in eastern Pakistan, the latest in a spate of so-called &quot;honour killings&quot;,&nbsp;officials said on Friday. 
 
Muqaddas Bibi, 22, married Taufiq Ahmed three years ago in defiance of her family, who considered a marriage for love, rather than an arranged marriage, said police investigator Mohammad Arshad.&nbsp; 
 
Bibi&#39;s ties with her family were severed after the marriage, Arshad said, but her mother and brother allegedly approached her at a clinic where she was having a check-up on Thursday and convinced her to come home, saying they accepted her decision. 
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_EHw8cAULxg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 
Local police station chief Gohar Abbas said that when Bibi reached her parents&#39; house, her father, brother and mother cut her throat with a knife and she died on the spot. 
 
Bibi had a 10-month-old daughter and was seven months pregnant when she was killed, he added. 
 
Abbas said that her family fled from their house after the murder in the village of Buttaranwali, 75 kilometres (46 miles) north of Punjab provincial capital Lahore. 
 
Police are hunting for them and have already detained another relative for inciting the killing, Abbas added. 
 
Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives in conservative Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. 
 
Last week, 16 year-old Zeenat Bibi was killed in Lahore by her mother for marrying a man of her own choice in a case that sparked condemnation throughout the country. 
 
It was swiftly followed by the killing&nbsp;of a couple in Lahore who married without their family&#39;s consent. 
 
On Sunday a young girl was killed by her brother for insisting on marrying the man of her choice in the city of Sialkot in Punjab.&nbsp; 
 
A film on honour killings in Pakistan won an Oscar for best documentary short in February.&nbsp; 
 
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to eradicate the &quot;evil&quot; amid publicity for the film, &quot;A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness&quot;, but as yet no fresh legislation has been tabled. 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;</div>

Muqaddas Bibi had married a man of her choice and was seven-months pregnant when her parents and brother murdered her

Relatives slit the throat of a young mother, who was pregnant with her second child, after she married against their will in eastern Pakistan, the latest in a spate of so-called "honour killings", officials said on Friday. Muqaddas Bibi, 22, married Taufiq Ahmed three years ago in defiance of her family, who considered a marriage for love, rather than an arranged marriage, said police investigator Mohammad Arshad. Bibi's ties with her family were severed after the marriage, Arshad said, but her mother and brother allegedly approached her at a clinic where she was having a check-up on Thursday and convinced her to come home, saying they accepted her decision. Local police station chief Gohar Abbas said that when Bibi reached her parents' house, her father, brother and mother cut her throat with a knife and she died on the spot. Bibi had a 10-month-old daughter and was seven months pregnant when she was killed, he added. Abbas said that her family fled from their house after the murder in the village of Buttaranwali, 75 kilometres (46 miles) north of Punjab provincial capital Lahore. Police are hunting for them and have already detained another relative for inciting the killing, Abbas added. Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives in conservative Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. Last week, 16 year-old Zeenat Bibi was killed in Lahore by her mother for marrying a man of her own choice in a case that sparked condemnation throughout the country. It was swiftly followed by the killing of a couple in Lahore who married without their family's consent. On Sunday a young girl was killed by her brother for insisting on marrying the man of her choice in the city of Sialkot in Punjab. A film on honour killings in Pakistan won an Oscar for best documentary short in February. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to eradicate the "evil" amid publicity for the film, "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness", but as yet no fresh legislation has been tabled. (AFP)

Pak woman killed for 'honour'

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