Pakistan is systematically failing to uphold its constitutional and moral obligations toward women, according to local media analysis published amid the brutal killing of Gulaan Bharo, a 25-year-old mother of two who was murdered by her husband on 2 May in what authorities have categorised as an 'honour' killing. The case has reignited scrutiny of Pakistan's deeply entrenched gender-based violence crisis and the institutional failures that allow it to persist.

Gulaan Bharo's Killing and Its Warning Signs

Bharo's death was not unforeseen — it was foretold by the victim herself. In a chilling statement reported by Dawn, she had said: 'I know I will be killed. I am a mother of two children, but for the sake of my father's dignity, I will sacrifice myself and go back to live with him.'

According to reports, Bharo had initially refused to return to her family and had requested placement in a shelter. Her family, however, persuaded her otherwise. She was killed shortly after. Her case adds her name to a list of thousands of Pakistani women killed by men who are, by social contract, meant to protect them.

Legal Framework Exists — Enforcement Does Not

Analyst Mohammed Sarwar Khan, writing in a Pakistani publication, argues that Pakistan's legal architecture for addressing gender-based violence is, on paper, adequate — but enforcement and deterrence remain critically weak. 'On paper, the legal framework for dealing with such crimes seems adequate to punish the offender, yet based on the incidence of gender-based violence, enforcement and deterrence are still problematic,' he wrote.

Khan points to a systemic pattern of failure: refusals to register First Information Reports (FIRs), prolonged delays, settlements reached under the Qisas and Diyat laws that effectively allow perpetrators to escape punishment, and a judicial culture that goes soft on so-called 'honour'-related crimes. 'There is, consequently, an indecent litany of such offences and systemic failures,' he noted.

Judiciary and Parliament Under Fire

The critique extends beyond law enforcement to the legislature and the courts. According to Khan, both parliament and the judiciary have failed to clearly define the chain of responsibility for protecting women across different stages of the criminal justice process. He also flagged the absence of a legal doctrine of operational autonomy in policing, which he argues is essential for impartial justice.

At the district court level, the situation is described as particularly dire. 'In the district courts, judges are not in control of their courtrooms, nor the judicial process, which is mired by adjournments, delays, escalating costs, lack of information, tactical abuse of process,' Khan said. He further noted that there is 'no meaningful check or consequence for a judge repeatedly issuing weak judgments.'

Patriarchal Culture as the Root Problem

Khan argues that institutional dysfunction cannot be separated from the broader social context. The culture of patriarchy, he contends, is deeply entwined with the inefficiency of state institutions — each reinforcing the other. 'The system is so flawed and out of sync with society and its justice needs, and there is no justification for doggedly persisting with it,' he said.

This comes amid persistent documentation by human rights organisations of Pakistan's gender-based violence epidemic, with thousands of women reportedly killed in the name of 'honour' each year, the majority of cases going unpunished. As pressure mounts from civil society and international observers, the question is whether Pakistan's institutions have the political will to break the cycle.