Voices Against Karo Kari

A seminar titled ‘Karo Kari: Bury This Barbaric Practice’ was organized at the Karachi Press Club under the platform “Dukhtaran-e-Karachi.” Senior political leaders, human rights activists, lawyers, parliamentarians and members of civil society strongly condemned the inhumane practice of so-called honour killings and demanded strict implementation of existing laws.

The seminar was chaired by politician Nasreen Jalil, while the organizers included Aamir Siddiqui, Dr. Ubaid Ali, and MNA Sabeen Ghauri. Among the prominent participants were Chairperson Senate Human Rights Committee Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, renowned women’s rights activist Mahnaz Rahman, Nuzhat Shireen and others.

Addressing the seminar, Senator Nasreen Jalil stated that Karo Kari is not merely an outdated custom but an outright act of terrorism and murder against humanity. She said that Islam provides no justification whatsoever for killings in the name of honour and emphasized that the feudal mindset and oppressive tribal structures have pushed Sindh into darkness.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Senator Khalida Ateeb highlighted those 34 women had reportedly been targeted in the name of honor in Sindh during the past four months, while the horrifying incident of a young girl being buried alive in بلوچستان shocked the conscience of humanity. They noted that police and administrative authorities often appear helpless before influential feudal elements, resulting in many incidents not even being registered through FIRs.

Senator Aamir Chishti stressed that society must rise above political affiliations and unite collectively to eradicate this brutal practice, adding that the sanctity of human life must remain paramount.

Speaking on the legal dimensions of the issue, Fareeda Mangrio emphasized the urgent need to strengthen prosecution in honour killing cases so that no criminal can escape the grip of the law.  The speakers expressed grave concern that more than one thousand women fall victim to such barbaric practices every year, while nearly fifty percent of the incidents remain unreported due to pressure from influential feudal figures and the parallel jirga system. Reference was also made to the recent Rubina Chandio case, where attempts were allegedly made to weaken the case by altering legal provisions.

Participants urged strict implementation of the 2016 Anti-Honour Killing Act in its true spirit, noting that under the law, courts retain the authority to sentence perpetrators to life imprisonment even if the heirs pardon the accused.

At the conclusion of the seminar, participants demanded that the government arrest all those involved irrespective of political influence and pledged that the platform of “Dukhtaran-e-Karachi” by MQM. Pakistan would continue its awareness campaign until the complete eradication of this barbaric practice.