Honour Killings in Swat, Pakistan: Woman and Three Daughters Murdered

Woman, Three Daughters
Ages: 35, 19, 16, 13
Shot to death: 9/10 July, 2024
Residence: Swat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Origin: Pakistan
Perpetrator: Husband, Father

On Saturday, July 13, 2024, police officers discovered the bodies of a mother and her three daughters inside their home in the Kabal area of Swat district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. All four women had been shot.

Three days earlier, Sardar Ali, the husband of the murdered woman, called his brother-in-law from Oman and confessed to killing his wife and three daughters. The man then visited the house, found the bodies, and reported the crime to the local police.

Sardar Ali also called the Pakistani police from Saudi Arabia, where he resides, and admitted to killing his wife and daughters. Authorities are now coordinating with international agencies to pursue legal action against Sardar Ali and ensure justice for the victims.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.