And you still think this is a society for women?
By Hareem Usman Lodhi
Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan where the word honor is so fragile, it dies
the moment a woman makes a choice.
And the price of that choice? Her life.
In the dusty tribal heartland of Balochistan, on what should have been just another pre Eid day in June 2025, Bano Bibi, was executed for choosing to marry the man she loved. Ahsan Ullah, her partner in love, was gunned down beside her. Their offense? Daring to love outside the tribal code. Their punishment? Publicly shot dead under orders from a local jirga because compassion apparently has no place in tradition. And we all watched. We all listened. The video of Bano’s final moments went viral—soul crushing. She’s seen calmly saying in Brahui: “Come, walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me… You are only allowed to shoot me. Nothing more than that.” Such elegance in the face of such barbarity.
Honor? Or Horror in HD?
In a sane world, tribal customs wouldn’t over-ride national law. Yet in Pakistan, the Constitution takes tea breaks while feudal codes decide fate. Shockingly, her own mother, Gul Jan, appeared in a video justifying the murder—smiling, claiming the Jirga “did nothing wrong.” The arrest tally now stands at 16 includingtribal leader Sardar Sher baz Satakzai and victim’s mother. Police filed a terrorism case and even exhumed Bano’s body for further forensics. Still on the run is Bano’s brother, seen firing shots in the viral footage. Arrest
warrants are out; investigators claim relentless pursuit. The government calls it a test case. Activists say it’s overdue attention, sparked only by the power of virality.
Other Names on the Death List
This is no isolated tragedy. In Rawalpindi, 18‑year‑old Sidra Bibi was suffocated with a pillow killed by father and ex‑husband after she married of her own choosing. Her body was buried and the earth flattened to hide evidence until the grave was exhumed and autopsy confirmed torture before death. A few days later, in Larkana and Ghotki (Sindh), Razia, Samina, and Majid Chachar were gunned down in coordinated honor executions across adjacent villages—five women among eight killed in just three days.
In Islamabad, SanaYousaf, a 17‑year‑old TikTok influencer, was shot dead at home within hours of going missing. Her murderer was arrested. The case inflamed national outrage and led to public protests demanding justice for the teen who stitched together cultural pride and women’s rights through her videos.
Just last week, a 16‑year‑old was shot dead by her father in Rawalpindi for refusing to delete her TikTok account. Investigators had initially branded it suicide before uncovering the truth. Human Rights Watch estimates ~1,000 honor-based murders occur annually in Pakistan, most completely unreported.
When Women Die, Pakistan Stays Silent Until the World Screams
The pattern is predictable. Hashtags trend. Anchors cry on TV. Police scramble. Politicians tweet. Then silence. National memory is shorter than a TikTok. Until the next Bano, the next Qandeel, the next nameless girl bleeds out. The cycle resets. Remember Qandeel Baloch (2016)? Murdered by her brother for social media fame. Her death sparked legal reforms but convictions remain rare. Only those killings that go viral
glimpse daylight. Her story inspired the critically acclaimed drama Baaghi, starring Saba Qamar, who
portrayed Qandeel’s boldness and tragedy with haunting clarity. The series didn’t just dramatize her life it held up a mirror to a society complicit in her death. It aired on national TV, but the country still hasn’t learned from the girl it pretended to mourn.
What Is This If Not Terrorism?
How is executing a woman in front of cameras to “send a message” not premeditated terrorism? If she’d been a soldier, she’d get a medal. Instead, she was just a woman in love and that made her a threat. Then her mother shoes up to defend it. Gul Jan has also been arrested. Justice is crawling maybe sincere, maybe performative. If honor is dearer than human life, what honor do we even have left?
The Statistics Should Shame Us
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded 405 honor killings in 2024 up sharply from 226 in 2023, with real numbers believed much higher due to underreporting. Multiple cases in quick succession across Sindh, Punjab, KP, and Balochistan show this violence knows no local boundary. Rural or urban, it’s America‑born or tribal‑bound, educated or uneducated, young or old. Once you’re a woman who acts independently, you’re vulnerable.
In Memory of Bano and Every Woman Silenced
Bano’s last words her final act of resistance:
“You are only allowed to shoot me. Nothing more than that.”
She walked to her death with poise Pakistan did not deserve.
I write this as a woman who has lived in this country, watched this horror unfold again and again, and still burns with rage.
I write as someone who has seen women silenced in classrooms, offices, homes, and nowoncamera.
I write not from a place of policy, but from pain. And exhaustion. And a refusal to let this be normal anymore.
Let this article be Bano’s eulogy and her protest. Let it burn in your chest. Let it shame your silence. Let it choke the next man who dares say “she asked for it.”
Justice for Bano. Justice for Sidra. Justice for Sana. Justice for Razia, Samina, Razia Chachar and Qandeel. Justice for every daughter buried in silence.
And if we can’t give them justice then at least let’s give them a voice that never stops screaming.
