'Honour Killings' in Pakistan and Compliance of ... - Aurat Foundation

or information about the 2004 law in the community. Had there been,
perhaps the perpetrator may not have committed the murder.
Naseerabad
The media in Naseerabad was shown to be quite active, as it has almost
accurately reported the same number of cases as the registered FIRs in
2009 and 2010. The fluctuation in the registered FIRs is curious. While
only 12 cases were reported in 2009, the figure almost doubles in 2009
and reduces drastically in 2010, as shown in table No. 5.
Table 5: : No. of Honour Killing cases compiled by Aurat Foundation
from district Naseerabad during Jan-Dec (2008-10)
Year 2008 2009 2010
Number of cases
Reported in the media.
34 20 10
It is pertinent to note that the infamous case of the 5 women buried alive
in Naseerabad 49 occurred in 2009. With widespread controversy
surrounding their murder, the confusion that reigned due to lack of
information and finally the stand taken by Senator Israrullah Zehri in the
Senate defending the custom, 50 may have had something to do with the
low number of cases registered in the district.
Arif Hassan, social commentator and author, noted that in his researches
regarding social change, with regard to honour killing, the community
committed these murders also as a warning to other girls who may be
wishing to stretch the seams of the culture and tradition of their
49 ‘Five women buried alive in name of honour’, Rauf Klassra, The News, 25-08-2008
50 'Anti-women' cabinet riles Pakistan activists, Saeed Shah, The Guardian, 12-11-2008
47