Qandeel Baloch’s murder in 2016 made national and international news and exposed the hypocrisy of our cultural values when it comes to women. She was an audacious social media celebrity, who defied set norms – a defiance that got her murdered by her brother in the name of ‘honour’. After her tragic death, the Anti-Honour Killing Laws (Criminal Amendment Bill) 2015 was enacted, which does not allow heirs to forgive the killer(s).
The recent Lahore High Court ruling that acquitted Qandeel’s murderer is shocking. One fears that it may encourage others to follow suit. This is especially troubling because most honour-related cases are not reported, reinforcing the patriarchal justice that defends men. Ideally, perpetrators of such crimes should be strictly penalised. Any murder within the state should be seen as a crime against humanity, and the state must pursue it. It is the need of the hour to review the legal ambiguities that allowed this man to walk, to uphold the law in in its truest sense.
Shahjahan Memon and Sajid Ali Naichs
Islamabad