A brutal killing in rural Pakistan continues to draw national outrage, not just for its violence, but for the silence that followed. In early June, 35-year-old Bano Bibi and Ehsanullah Samalani, 50, were executed near Quetta after being accused of having an affair. Bibi, a mother of five, and Samalani, a father of four, were initially reported to have married against the wishes of their families. The double murder, captured on video as onlookers quietly watched, remained under the radar until the footage went viral six weeks later. Only then did authorities respond. They've now arrested more than 15 people—among them Bibi's own mother, who said her daughter's death was necessary to "cleanse" the family's honor, per the New York Times.
"But there is no honor in these killings," Sheema Kermani, co-founder of the Pakistani feminist movement Aurat March, tells the outlet. "It's mostly victim blaming." A relative might kill a woman for refusing an arranged marriage, attempting to divorce, or engaging with whom she likes. So-called honor killings are tragically common in Pakistan, with more than 400 women killed last year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Critics say prosecutions are rare and that traditions often trump the law, especially in tribal regions where local councils—jirgas—hold more sway than the courts. Nationwide, criminal convictions in reported honor killing cases remain below 1%. Those arrested in this case have been charged with murder and terrorism. The actual shooter remains at large.
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