At least 405 women were killed in Pakistan last year in the name of so-called “honour,” including the killing of Bano Bibi in the Degari area of Balochistan.

According to a report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the incidents of honour killing are not limited to rural or poor areas, but are also widespread in major cities and overseas Pakistani communities.

HRCP Director Farah Zia told The New York Times that although a law was passed in 2016 that stripped families of the power to forgive the killer, the number of these incidents has not decreased.

She said that according to police data, 405 cases had been reported, but the actual number could be much higher because many incidents go unreported.

The New York Times has published a detailed article on the Degari murder, highlighting these incidents.

According to the report, Bano Bibi and Ehsanullah Samlani were allegedly killed in the name of honour on the outskirts of Quetta.

Public outrage over the incident arose not because it was another so-called honour killing, but because authorities took action only after the video of the shooting went viral, more than six weeks later.

Senator Sherry Rehman, who tabled a resolution demanding action against those involved in the murder of Bano Bibi and Ehsanullah, says that “many communities and families insist on the misguided notion that their ‘honour’ is linked to a woman’s body and her behaviour.”

She added that the extremely low conviction rate in such crimes emboldens these criminals.

According to The New York Times, another horrific incident came to light in January this year, when a Pakistani man living in New York lured his 14-year-old daughter to Pakistan and killed her simply because he was unhappy with her lifestyle and dress choices.

According to the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), of all honour killing cases reported last year, only 0.5 per cent led to convictions.

In most cases, the killers are close relatives – fathers, brothers, or uncles – who kill their daughters or sisters for refusing arranged marriages, seeking divorce, or being involved in a romantic relationship deemed against cultural norms.

The Human Rights Commission and other organisations have called on the government to take urgent, effective, and fearless measures to stop these incidents, and to implement laws that not only ensure punishment but also provide full legal and social protection to the affected women.