Two cases of infamous ‘honor killings’ took place in Sanghar district of interior Sindh, during the past month. On Tuesday, Bano Brohi and a man by the name of Arif Brohi, were shot by Bano’s two brothers and uncle. The father of the deceased girl stated that his sons and brother had acted to preserve the “honour” of their family. Earlier in September, Moosa Khyber axed his wife and eighteen year-old daughter to death in the Sabir Khyber village of Sanghar. Moosa was enraged to find a male relative sitting and talking to the women when he returned home. For him this was akin to dishonouring his family. FIRs have not been filed in either case. Unfortunately, incidents of karo-kari are not uncommon in Pakistan, especially in the rural districts of Punjab and interior Sindh. The ‘Honour Based Violence Awareness Network’ records a total of 5000 honour based murders worldwide. It is disgraceful, that Pakistan accounts for a 1000 of those murders alongside India. In South Asia, the omnipresence of cultural patriarchy regulates a woman as masculine property. Within the bounds of this ownership, the notions of familial chastity and honour are solely attributed to the woman. Such a framework of kinship outlines the relationship as a dual manifestation – the woman who represents honour, and the man who vows to protect it. It also defines, ‘honour’ in a manner which directly opposes its progressive, humanitarian understanding. It is not dishonourable for a man to kill his sister, daughter or wife, it is dishonourable for a woman to marry, dress and live by her choice. However, the underlying assumptions are far more complex, than mere ‘freedom of choice’. Human rights groups have repeatedly stated that karo-kari is based upon questions of inheritance, remarriage, feud-settling etc. This points again to the foundations of patriarchy, which are entrenched in questions of property and masculine ownership. Such practices exist simply because the authorities have failed in the past to prevent the so-called honour killings. Often, the investigating agencies are sympathetic to the notions of honour. Bilawal Bhutto, and the local MNA from Sanghar, Shazia Marri must look into these cases immediately. Sindh has been home to anti-woman practices for far too long. Similarly, the incumbent Prime Minister must focus on such heinous crimes against women. It is high time that Pakistan begins to undo the legal and societal structures that enable injustice and violence against women. * Published in Daily Times, October 17th 2018.