LAHORE - Murders in the name of so-called honour have dropped drastically across the Punjab province in recent years, thanks to the federal government for introducing harsh punishment for the convicts.

The latest police data shows downward trend with sizeable decrease in such incidents reported by police in 2016 and 2017 as compared to 2015 and 2014.

According to the statistics available with The Nation, at least 181 persons were killed for brining shame to their families in 2017. Similarly, no less than 248 persons were murdered in the name of ‘honour’ in 2016 against 328 in 2015, 404 in 2014, and 388 in 2013.

Almost two years ago, the joint session of the Parliament had unanimously approved the anti-honour killing laws with strict punishment for the convicts.

Under the new legislation, relatives of the victim would only be able to pardon the killer if he/she is sentenced to capital punishment. However, the culprit would still face a mandatory life sentence of twelve-and-a-half years.

The data also reveals there was no let-up in the incidents of honour killings during the last couple of years although the registered incidents dropped significantly.

Majority of the victims were young women who were butchered by their relatives for bringing a ‘bad name’ to the families or communities.

Faisalabad, the home district of the provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, had the highest number of honour killings. Last year, at least 19 incidents of honour killing were reported by police in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana, and Kasur districts.

Similarly, police registered 19 cases of honour killings in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Narowal districts in 2017.

At least 12 such cases were reported by police in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal districts during the previous year. At least 30 murders in the name of honour were reported by police in Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, and Bhakkar districts the same year. Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh and Chiniot districts witnessed at least 37 honour killings in 2017.

Eighty cases were registered by police in Multan, Lodhran, Khanewal and Vehari districts. Also, at least 12 such incidents were reported by police in Sahiwal, Okara, and Pakpattan districts.

Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh and Layyah districts witnessed 14 such killings last year. As many as 21 murders were reported in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan in 2015, according to police data.

The new data suggests significant decrease in honour killings in this province where police had reported at least 1850 such murders from 2011 to 2015.

A senior police investigator said the anti-honour killing law was the major reason behind the reasonable decline in this crime. “Before this legislation, most of the culprits used to go scot-free because the previous law allows other family members to pardon a killer,” he said. The Parliament had passed the Anti-Honour Killing Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014 in March 2016. The laws bind the law enforcement agencies to treat the honour killing as heinous crime and the state would act against the killers in case they would be pardoned by the relatives of the victim.

Last year, the provincial police department had approved a new policy to investigate the incidents of honour killing and the cases related to violence against women.

As per the new policy, a police spokesman said, strict action is taken against the criminals found involved in violence against women. “The police are bound to ensure quick action by immediately lodging the FIRs against the criminals. The culprits should also be arrested immediately,” the spokesman said.