Uzma Khatoon

In recent weeks, a heartbreaking video from Balochistan shocked millions across South Asia. A young woman named Bano Satkzai was seen walking with confidence in bright red clothes, adjusting her shawl. She looked calm and fearless. In the Brahui language, she said, “Only shooting is allowed, nothing else.” This was followed by gunfire, and she fell. Another man named Ihsan Samalani, badly injured, was also shot again. Even Bano’s body was not spared. In the background, someone pleaded, saying, “Stop it,” but the bullets did not stop. Both of them were murdered in the name of family honour.

They had fallen in love and possibly married or planned to marry. Just for choosing their life partner, they were hunted, kidnapped, and then shot. They were not criminals. Their only "crime" was love. This heartless killing happened near Quetta in an area called Degari, just before the Eid festival. Bano did not run. She did not beg for her life. She seemed to know her fate was already decided.

After the video went viral, 11 people were arrested, including Bano’s brother and a local tribal elder. According to journalist Murtaza Zahri and Jalila Haider, Bano was shot seven times and Ihsan nine times. The family members are silent about the killings. In such cases, truth is often buried under the burden of tribal customs; people are too afraid to speak up. Many people in Balochistan and other tribal areas still follow strict tribal codes based on old pride, revenge, and control. These customs are so powerful that even the courts and police are afraid to act. Men in these areas believe their honour is tied to women's actions. If a woman dares to talk to a man, choose her partner, or even post a picture on social media, she is considered a disgrace. The punishment comes fast and final—death.

Sadly, this is not an isolated event. Honour killings have become far too common in Pakistan. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, over 1,200 women were killed in the name of honor between 2021 and 2023. In 2024, more than 400 women were murdered for similar reasons. Sindh province reported over 300 cases. Shockingly, some victims were even from the Hindu community. The problem is not religion—it is tribal culture.

What’s happening in Pakistan is not Islamic justice. It is tribal justice. These tribal ideas—like Pukhtunwali among Pukhtun tribes—are older than Islam itself. They existed before the Prophet Muhammad brought the message of Islam to the people. Earlier in ancient Arab society, baby girls were buried alive because they were seen as a shame to the family. When Prophet Muhammad received the message of Allah, one of the first things he did was ban this cruel practice. He taught that daughters are a blessing and promised Paradise to people who raise their daughters with love and care. He said, “Whoever has three daughters and treats them well will enter Paradise because of them.” That is Islam. That is the message of Allah. But the murder of Bano and Ihsan is the message of tribal pride and ignorance. No matter what people call it, it is not Islam.

In Islam, marriage is a sacred contract. It must happen with the free will and consent of both the man and the woman. The Quran says clearly: “Do not mistreat them, and do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they agree between themselves in a lawful manner” (Quran 2:232). The Prophet also said, “There is no marriage without the consent of the woman.” Therefore, if a woman chooses her husband, Islam allows it. There is no dishonor in love or marriage. All these killings and violence done in the name of Islam are lies. They are part of an old tribal culture that turns women into property and honor into violence.

This problem is not limited to Pakistan. In Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, and even parts of Iraq, honor killings happen among Muslim communities. But Islam does not allow them. Islam teaches mercy, love, equality, and justice. The Quran says, “Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred.” So how can people kill someone and then say it is in the name of God? It is hypocrisy. The real message of Islam has been hidden behind the dirty politics of tribal leaders, corrupt clerics, and greedy landlords.

In Pakistan, many poor and rural families are still ruled by tribal elders known as sardars, maliks, or waderas. These men act as judges, police, and executioners. Across the country, illegal village courts—called jirgas or panchayats—make decisions about marriage, land, and women. These men often decide that a young girl must be killed or married off to end a family feud. A practice called ‘Vani’ allows little girls to be given to the enemy tribe as punishment. Another cruel tradition is ‘Marriage to the Quran,’ where a girl is told she is married to the holy book and must never marry a man. Her family's goal is only to protect land and property. This is not faith—it is slavery.

While Pakistan was created as a country for Muslims, it has failed to protect the rights of Muslim women. Its Constitution speaks about equality, but in real life, women face violence, humiliation, and death—even from their own families. A woman using social media or walking alone may be insulted or attacked. Even the police do not help. Laws made to protect women are ignored. Many religious leaders are interested more in power than justice. They preach modesty to women but remain silent when women are killed. Some even justify these killings to protect culture.

Islam never gave men the right to control women. The Quran uses the word "qawwam" to describe a man’s role—not as a master, but a protector and caretaker. A man is responsible for the emotional and financial well-being of the women in his family. This does not mean he owns them. A woman is free to choose her life, career, education, and husband. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never beat his wives. He asked people to treat their women kindly and gave examples through his actions. When his daughter Fatimah entered the room, he stood up for her. This is how Islam honors women.

Yet in today’s Pakistan, these lessons are forgotten. Most women are taught to obey, not to choose. They are not allowed to finish school in many villages. Educated girls are seen as "dangerous" because they ask questions. Sadly, even in urban areas, women are harassed at work or threatened on social media. Many journalists, doctors, and politicians face abuse, not because they did something wrong, but because they are women with a voice.

At the same time, Pakistani men are told from childhood that their job is to protect family honor. Even if they are poor, unemployed, or struggling, society tells them they are the boss. This pressure makes some frustrated men act violently, especially when they feel powerless in other areas. Some are even misled in the name of religion and join extremist groups. They are promised Paradise if they die in “honour” or “jihad,” but Islam clearly says killing another human being without just cause is a great sin.

Many women in Pakistan live in fear. Graveyards are full of nameless women, killed in the name of religion but buried in silence. Their stories never reach the public. Their killers are often family members. Even if arrested, they are usually forgiven under Islamic loopholes and walk free. The justice system is weak, and the culture favors the criminal if he is male and powerful.

Now look at Muslim women in India. While India certainly has challenges, Muslim women here have more rights and freedom than most of their sisters in Pakistan. They can choose who to marry, go to schools and colleges, become doctors, judges, officers, and even Members of Parliament, and they are protected by law and courts. There are honor crimes in India, too—but such cases face public outrage and legal action. In India, a Muslim woman can file a police complaint, go to court, get media support, and live safely if she takes a stand. In Pakistan, speaking up is dangerous.

While Pakistan punishes women for falling in love, in India, Muslim women enjoy greater freedom and dignity, supported by the strong framework of the Indian Constitution. Fundamental rights like equality, personal liberty, and protection against discrimination apply equally to them. A powerful example was seen during the triple talaq debate, where the Indian Supreme Court declared instant divorce unconstitutional. This landmark decision reinforced that Muslim women are individual persons with full constitutional rights—not property of their husbands. Parliament followed with a law making instant triple talaq a criminal offense, further securing justice for these women.

In India, constitutional remedies like writs under Articles 32 and 226 empower women to directly approach the courts when their rights are violated. This is known as the “writ of the State”—a system where law stands above tradition. While Pakistan silences its women with bullets and traditions, India gives them a voice in courts, classrooms, and even Parliament. The key difference is not just religion, but the presence of justice, equality, and constitutional protection that treats every woman—not just as someone's daughter or wife—but as a complete human being in her own right.

It is time we stop hiding the truth. What is happening in Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not Islam. It is tribalism, sexism, and a dark form of cultural violence wearing a religious mask. Islam cannot be blamed for these murders. The Prophet banned honor killing 1,400 years ago. But people in Pakistan have made a new religion—what we might call "Mullah kadeen," full of power, control, and fear. It is not Allah’s religion, which is based on liberty, respect, and equality.

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No society can move forward while half its population is wounded, silenced, or dead. The world must call out the crimes in Pakistan. The government must take action. The courts must punish killers. And the people must understand that honor is not in killing. Honor is in kindness, in letting your daughter choose her future, in letting your sister live with dignity, in respecting your wife’s voice. The honor that demands blood is not honour—it is cowardice.

Dr.Uzma Khatoon has taught in the Department of Islamic Studies at Aligarh Muslim University.