Deeply entrenched patriarchal mindset fuels ‘honour killings’ in Pakistan: Report

London, July 28 (AHN) The recent killing of a 20-year-old woman, Khalida Chandio, in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province reflects a wider pattern of violence against women accused of bringing “dishonour” to families, a report has stated.

Citing the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the women’s rights organisation Sindh Suhai Sath, it said at least 112 women fell victim to "honour" killings in Sindh between 1 January and 20 June this year.

The police figures cited by HRCP recorded at least 470 "honour" killings in Pakistan in 2025, including 126 in Sindh. Rights groups believe that the actual death toll is likely to be higher, especially in remote districts where deaths "may go unreported or be misclassified as suicides or accidents", according to a report in leading British daily 'The Guardian'.

It highlighted that Khalida was shot dead in their village in Sindh, with her murder being filmed and widely viewed on social media, including by her helpless parents.

Holding back tears, Khalida’s mother Nabul recounted how her daughter was taken from their home at night and killed just a few hundred metres away.

"Her screams still echo in my ears. We couldn’t save her," The Guardian quoted Nabul as saying.

According to police, Khalida was murdered after being declared kari, a Sindhi label used to accuse women of illicit relationships and frequently cited to justify so-called "honour" killings.

Investigators allege that the fatal shooting was carried out by her grandfather and maternal uncle on the orders of a tribal elder. Three suspects have been taken into custody, with one more still wanted, while the case is scheduled to go to trial, the report noted.

"If they believed my daughter had done something wrong, they should have handed her over to the police. She would still be alive today. She could have been with us, or living in a shelter home," said Mohammad Ramzan, Khalida's father.

Asad Raza, the deputy inspector general of police who has previously served as district police chief in Ghotki, Kashmore and Jacobabad in Sindh, said that "honour" killings in Pakistan are driven by deeply entrenched patriarchal power structures in which women are often viewed as the "property of male relatives".

He said that allegations of kari continue to be used to settle disputes over land, inheritance or tribal rivalries.

"A woman may be declared kari not because of any evidence, but because it provides a pretext to kill her and seize property or extract compensation," The Guardian quoted Raza as saying.

Highlighting how the same patriarchal attitudes often shape criminal investigations in Pakistan, he further said, "The victim is a woman, the accused is usually a man, those making the accusation are men, community elders deciding the dispute are men, and often the investigating officer is also a man raised within the same social mindset."