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Woman Strangled in Suspected 'Honour Killing' in Karachi
Another life lost to “honour.” Pari, 40, was allegedly strangled by her husband in Karachi. Violence against women continues to rise, while convictions remain rare.
ND
by News Desk
2025-04-10
Woman Strangled in Suspected 'Honour Killing' in Karachi

In a harrowing case of suspected ‘honour killing’, a 40-year-old woman named Pari was allegedly strangled to death by her husband, Ghulam Ali Bugti, at their residence in Shahbaz Goth, located near the Northern Bypass in Karachi.

According to a statement from the Site Superhighway Industrial Area police, the suspect fled the scene and is currently at large. Law enforcement agencies have launched a manhunt to apprehend him. The victim's body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal procedures.

Police believe the motive behind the murder was rooted in the toxic and regressive notion of “honour,” a justification still used in many cases of domestic femicide in Pakistan.

This tragic incident adds to a growing list of gender-based violence (GBV) cases reported across the country, where women are routinely killed, abused, or subjected to psychological trauma by intimate partners or relatives.

Earlier this week, a female school teacher in Qambar-Shahdadkot was allegedly killed by her fiancé, a serving police officer, for refusing to marry him. Last week, a pregnant woman was murdered by her husband following a domestic dispute. In March, a woman was gunned down outside Malir court by her estranged husband as she sought khula (divorce), and another woman was stabbed to death in a local hotel by her former spouse.

Despite the frequency and severity of these crimes, conviction rates remain alarmingly low. According to the 2024 report Mapping Gender-Based Violence by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), the justice system is failing victims of domestic abuse:

  • Punjab reported 1,167 domestic violence cases with only 3 convictions.
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 446 cases, but zero convictions.
  • Sindh registered 375 cases, again with no convictions.
  • Balochistan, although having fewer cases (160), led with 25 convictions.

The Asian Development Bank, in a 2023 report, labeled domestic violence a "silent pandemic" in Pakistan, highlighting the urgent need for societal reform, better protective laws, and effective enforcement.

Activists and rights groups are once again urging the government to treat gender-based violence as a national emergency and to close the gap between policy and implementation.

Pari's murder is not just another statistic — it is a stark reminder of the urgent need for accountability, protection, and change.
Tagged:

HonourKilling

JusticeForPari

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