Vol. 6 No. 2 (2023): Pakistan Journal of International Affairs
Articles

HONOUR KILLINGS ON THE TOUCHSTONE OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE

Published 2023-06-20

Abstract

Honour killings are long-lasting cultural practices in which family members attack a female relative by stabbing, stoning, shooting, or beating in order to kill her for reason that she brings disgrace or dishonor to their family. It is a major public health and social problem which requires a considerable attention as it causes serious psychological, social, emotional, and physical consequences. As a perusal of literature shows that majority of the explanations were based on cultural practices, this study analyze the constitutional and criminal laws in Pakistan in the context of honour killings, in which girls or women are killed by their relatives because of their provoking behavior that disgraces their families. Because in these cases, the defendants seek to introduce evidence that such killings, under such circumstances, are customary in their culture. By tracing how provocation ties into honour killings in Pakistan, this article seeks to shed light on how the criminal laws in Pakistan has been amended time to time in order to get rid from the curse of honour killings.