URGENT ACTION ALERT
Resolution Condemning Honor Killings Rejected by Pakistani Parliament
August 31, 1999
http://www.sigi.org/Alert
On August 2, 1999 the Upper House of the Pakistani Parliament rejected a
resolution that would have condemned the practice of killing women in the
name of family honor. After several weeks of pressure from human rights
activists including Asma Jahangir, Chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan and UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and
Summary Executions, the Pakistan People's Party introduced the resolution in
the Senate. Though it appeared that the resolution had the support of
various parties, in the end the Senate failed to pass the resolution.>>>
Last year at least 286 women are known to have been killed in the name of
honor. Earlier this year the problem of honor killing was brought to
international attention through the case of Samia Sarwar. While meeting
with her lawyer to discuss her divorce, Ms. Sarwar was murdered by a man
hired by her parents to kill her in order to protect their family honor.
(See SIGI Alert from April 15, 1999 http://www.sigi.org/Alert/pak0499.htm> ). Human rights advocates had hoped
that a Senate resolution condemning the practice of honor killing would
quell such incidents and send a message that women's human rights are to be
protected in Pakistan. On Friday, August 6, 1999, a group of about 200
activists, mostly women, protested the Senate's decision outside the
Parliament building in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Senate's rejection of the resolution illustrates the
unwillingness of the government to punish perpetrators of honor killings.
This, despite the fact that Pakistan is a party to the Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which
states that there must be gender equality under the law. The CEDAW
Committee, which monitors state compliance with the convention, clarified in
its General Recommendation Number 19 that, "The definition of discrimination
includes gender-based violence, that is, violence that is directed against a
woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately"
(Eleventh Session, 1992, UN Document A/47/38). In addition, Article 2 of
CEDAW was interpreted to mean that state parties have an obligation to
eliminate violence against women where it is based upon traditional,
stereotyped gender roles.
Victims of honor killings are targeted because they are women who are
perceived to have violated community gender norms. The CEDAW Committee
holds states responsible for the prosecution of such crimes. Recommendation
19 states that, "under general international law and specific human rights
covenants, a State may also be responsible for private acts if they fail to
act with due diligence to prevent violation of rights or to investigate and
punish acts of violence." In this case, the State's failure to pass a
resolution condemning honor killing constitutes a lack of "due diligence" by
the state to protect women.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Your urgent action is needed to ensure that the Pakistani Parliament
reconsiders the resolution against honor killing. Please write to the
following authorities to demand that the crime of honor killing be condemned
in Pakistan, and perpetrators of this crime be prosecuted and punished.
ADDRESSES:
Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister's Secretariat
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Fax: 92-51-920-3414
E-mail: [email protected]
Wassim Sajjad
Speaker of the Senate
House No. 28>>>St. 4, E-7
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: 92-51-210-573; 210-864
Chaudhary Shujahat Hussain
Minister for the Interior
Government of Pakistan
Cabinet Block, Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad 44000,
Pakistan
Fax: 92-51-920-2624
E-mail: [email protected]>>>
The Pakistan Mission to the United Nations
8 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10021, USA
Fax: 212-369-0119
E-mail: [email protected]
Sisterhood Is Global Institute
4343 Montgomery Ave., Suite 201
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: 301-657-4355
Fax: 301-657-4381 mail to: [email protected] http://www.sigi.org/
------------------
"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." -Walter Winchell
Resolution Condemning Honor Killings Rejected by Pakistani Parliament
August 31, 1999
http://www.sigi.org/Alert
On August 2, 1999 the Upper House of the Pakistani Parliament rejected a
resolution that would have condemned the practice of killing women in the
name of family honor. After several weeks of pressure from human rights
activists including Asma Jahangir, Chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan and UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and
Summary Executions, the Pakistan People's Party introduced the resolution in
the Senate. Though it appeared that the resolution had the support of
various parties, in the end the Senate failed to pass the resolution.>>>
Last year at least 286 women are known to have been killed in the name of
honor. Earlier this year the problem of honor killing was brought to
international attention through the case of Samia Sarwar. While meeting
with her lawyer to discuss her divorce, Ms. Sarwar was murdered by a man
hired by her parents to kill her in order to protect their family honor.
(See SIGI Alert from April 15, 1999 http://www.sigi.org/Alert/pak0499.htm> ). Human rights advocates had hoped
that a Senate resolution condemning the practice of honor killing would
quell such incidents and send a message that women's human rights are to be
protected in Pakistan. On Friday, August 6, 1999, a group of about 200
activists, mostly women, protested the Senate's decision outside the
Parliament building in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Senate's rejection of the resolution illustrates the
unwillingness of the government to punish perpetrators of honor killings.
This, despite the fact that Pakistan is a party to the Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which
states that there must be gender equality under the law. The CEDAW
Committee, which monitors state compliance with the convention, clarified in
its General Recommendation Number 19 that, "The definition of discrimination
includes gender-based violence, that is, violence that is directed against a
woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately"
(Eleventh Session, 1992, UN Document A/47/38). In addition, Article 2 of
CEDAW was interpreted to mean that state parties have an obligation to
eliminate violence against women where it is based upon traditional,
stereotyped gender roles.
Victims of honor killings are targeted because they are women who are
perceived to have violated community gender norms. The CEDAW Committee
holds states responsible for the prosecution of such crimes. Recommendation
19 states that, "under general international law and specific human rights
covenants, a State may also be responsible for private acts if they fail to
act with due diligence to prevent violation of rights or to investigate and
punish acts of violence." In this case, the State's failure to pass a
resolution condemning honor killing constitutes a lack of "due diligence" by
the state to protect women.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Your urgent action is needed to ensure that the Pakistani Parliament
reconsiders the resolution against honor killing. Please write to the
following authorities to demand that the crime of honor killing be condemned
in Pakistan, and perpetrators of this crime be prosecuted and punished.
ADDRESSES:
Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister's Secretariat
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Fax: 92-51-920-3414
E-mail: [email protected]
Wassim Sajjad
Speaker of the Senate
House No. 28>>>St. 4, E-7
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: 92-51-210-573; 210-864
Chaudhary Shujahat Hussain
Minister for the Interior
Government of Pakistan
Cabinet Block, Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad 44000,
Pakistan
Fax: 92-51-920-2624
E-mail: [email protected]>>>
The Pakistan Mission to the United Nations
8 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10021, USA
Fax: 212-369-0119
E-mail: [email protected]
Sisterhood Is Global Institute
4343 Montgomery Ave., Suite 201
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: 301-657-4355
Fax: 301-657-4381 mail to: [email protected] http://www.sigi.org/
------------------
"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." -Walter Winchell