RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN — Nine people, including the father and ex-husband of 18-year-old Sidra Bibi, have been arrested in eastern Pakistan for their alleged involvement in her honour killing, reportedly carried out on the orders of a local jirga (council of elders) in Rawalpindi.
Sidra was allegedly suffocated with a pillow after marrying a man of her own choice, which her family disapproved of. According to police official Aftab Hussain, her body was secretly buried and the grave site flattened in an attempt to destroy evidence. Authorities later exhumed her remains, and a post-mortem confirmed signs of torture before death.
The case has sparked nationwide outrage, highlighting the persistent issue of honour-based violence in Pakistan, where such murders are still routinely underreported.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) reported 405 honour killings in 2024, a sharp rise from 226 in 2023. Experts believe the actual numbers are likely higher. Sadia Bukhari from HRCP’s council said, “The real figures are hidden behind family silence and societal pressure.”
According to the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), over 32,000 gender-based violence cases were reported nationwide last year, including 547 honour-related murders.
The disturbing trend continues. Just last week, police in Balochistan arrested 13 individuals after a viral video showed a couple being shot dead for marrying without family consent.
The Rawalpindi case is yet another grim reminder of the urgent need for legal reform, strict enforcement, and societal change to end the deep-rooted practice of punishing women for exercising personal agency.
