Honour killing or karo-kari is the name given to murders where the offender claims the victim, usually a woman, had brought his family into disrepute. Under the so-called Islamic legislation enacted by General Zia ul Haq, proven killers could seek or buy pardon from the victim's family under the Islamic principles of compromise. The law has remained essentially unchanged since then. <br />
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It has been grossly misused and has contributed directly to an alarming increase in the practice of karo-kari, a tradition whereby a man can kill a woman, claiming that she brought dishonour to the family, and still expect to be pardoned by her relatives. Once such a pardon has been secured, the state has no further writ on the matter. Government and independent researchers estimate that over 4,000 women have fallen victim to this practice in Pakistan in 1999-2005. <br />
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In December 2004, the government passed a bill making karo-kari punishable under the same penal provisions as murder. But it did not alter the provisions whereby the accused could negotiate pardon with the victim's family under the so-called Islamic provisions. In March 2005 the Pakistan government allied with Islamists to reject a bill which sought to strengthen the law against the practice of "honour killing". The parliament rejected the bill by a majority vote, declaring it to be un-Islamic. <br />
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<b>Is karo-kari a part of Pakistani culture?</b>
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It has been grossly misused and has contributed directly to an alarming increase in the practice of karo-kari, a tradition whereby a man can kill a woman, claiming that she brought dishonour to the family, and still expect to be pardoned by her relatives. Once such a pardon has been secured, the state has no further writ on the matter. Government and independent researchers estimate that over 4,000 women have fallen victim to this practice in Pakistan in 1999-2005. <br />
<br />
In December 2004, the government passed a bill making karo-kari punishable under the same penal provisions as murder. But it did not alter the provisions whereby the accused could negotiate pardon with the victim's family under the so-called Islamic provisions. In March 2005 the Pakistan government allied with Islamists to reject a bill which sought to strengthen the law against the practice of "honour killing". The parliament rejected the bill by a majority vote, declaring it to be un-Islamic. <br />
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<b>Is karo-kari a part of Pakistani culture?</b>