A young girl and boy were shot dead in the latest act of so-called honour killing at Babar Khojri village of Bannu district, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

The killer, Babar s/o Shireen, was a cousin and fiancé of the 17-year-old girl. The boy, on the other hand, was 22.

In this connection, the police said Babar killed the couple after forcing his way into a house and managed to flee the scene after committing the double murder.

Such killings to save the so-called family honour are rampant in our society where it is the girls who are carry the burden solely on their shoulders. For many, there is no or very little room to even express the desire to exercise their basic rights.

Unfortunately, it is the family members – fathers, brothers, uncles and cousins – who opt to become murders instead of allowing the victims to enjoy their rights granted and accepted internationally.

In one such episode, a girl was killed last month in Darra AdamKhel near Kohat over her wish to marry on her own choice.

The murder took place at Away Kalay village in the Jawaki Banda area where the father, uncle and cousin strangled the girl after finding that she was talking to her friend on phone. 

Also last month, the Supreme Court observed that the killing of women in the name of honour had never been an honourable practice, saying such murders should not be categorised as honour killings.

“It will help deter such killings if the term ‘Ghairat’ is not used to describe them,” observed Justice Qazi Faez Isa in a judgement he authored while hearing a petition.