'Honor killings' rise in Pakistan
Thursday, December 12, 2002 Posted: 6:55 AM EST (1155 GMT)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- 'Honor
killings' have risen in Pakistan, with
461 women murdered by family
members in 2002 for immoral
behavior ranging from adultery,
being raped or even cooking
poorly, the country's main human
rights body says.
The figure is up 25 percent on last year's
reported total of 372, with at least as many
raped as killed in the past twelve months,
the private Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan said.
Urging for greater protection of women,
the commission called on the government
to increase its commitment to fight the
practice.
Most killings are carried out by men to protect their family's honor for so called
immoral behavior such as sex outside marriage, talking to or dating men, being a
victim of rape and even bad cooking skills, the commissi on said.
The honor crimes are committed under the belief their actions would defend a
family's reputation.
Explaining the high figure, the rights commission's Kamla Hayat told The Associated
Press news agency the number may have risen because of an increased
willingness to report the crimes as opposition to the practice grows in some
regions.
Gang rape
Relying mainly on data collected from two
provinces, the rights commission said
over 300 honor killings took place in
Sindh.
In Punjab province, 161 women or girls
were killed by relatives. Only 27 killers
were arrested in that province.
Data on the rest of Pakistan, including the
tribal rural areas, was not available, the
commission said, as information is
difficult to obtain from such regions.
In June this year, the tribal council-ordered gang rape of a woman in Punjab sparked
national and international outrage.
The young woman, Mukhtiar Bibi, was raped as punishment for her brother having
sex with a woman from another clan. Six men were convicted of attacking her and
sentenced to death.
New laws
But in most honor killings, those guilty are not punished.
"Unfortunately, police in Pakistan either don't arrest such killers or they are not
treated as murderers," Hayat told The Associated Press.
Pakistan authorities say they are taking steps to reduce crimes against women and
act when they are reported.
"The government has recently made some changes in the laws to give more
protection to the women, and it will be unfair to say that the government is quiet on
the subject," AP quoted Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema, Director General of Pakistan's
Interior Ministry, as saying.
Among other findings from the commission:
• In Punjab, 67 of the slain women were killed by their brothers, 49 by their husbands
and the rest executed by other family members, including seven cases where sons
killed their mothers.
• In November in the southern city of Faisalabad, a woman was hacked to death with
an ax by close relatives on suspicion she was having "immoral relations" with a
man. The man was also killed.
• During the same month, a widow was killed by her brother on suspicion she was
living with a man outside marriage.
In both cases, the perpetrators gave themselves up to police and are awaiting trial.
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