Pakistan: Catholic Lawmaker Condemns ‘Honor Killings’

So-called ‘honor killings’ are the vilest example of cruelty in Pakistani society, says a Catholic lawmaker in the province of Punjab.

“Honor killing is the worst form of brutality … in Pakistani society. The killing of a child by the mother or father is the desecration of the sacred bond of motherhood and parenting,” Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Catholic Minister for Human Rights in the government of Punjab province, told Agenzia Fides.

Honor killing, also known as karo kari, is the intentional murder of a family member for bringing shame to the family such as refusing an arranged marriage.

Sindhu condemned the murder of Zeenat Bibi, a 17-year-old girl, who died after being set on fire allegedly by her own mother in Lahore June 8 for marrying without the family’s consent.

“Our society and the rule of law do not allow anyone to take the law into one’s hands, these incidents give a negative image of Pakistan in the international community,” he said.