A newly married couple, Nadia Aslam, 20, and Najeebullah Aziz, 25, were shot dead in Karachi in what authorities have confirmed is yet another case of honour killing in Pakistan — one that critics say could have been prevented had law enforcement acted on clear warning signs. Nadia's own brother is the primary suspect; police say he has been arrested. The killings have reignited a national debate about systemic police failure and the country's persistently low conviction rate for honour crimes.

How the Attack Unfolded

After Nadia left her family home to marry Najeebullah, her relatives filed a complaint with police alleging she had been kidnapped. On 25 May, she appeared before a Malir court in Karachi to record her statement, presenting her marriage certificate and confirming she had wed Najeebullah of her own free will. He was present in the courtroom alongside her.

According to a senior official, armed assailants on a motorcycle were already tracking the couple as they left the court premises. The attackers opened fire on the car carrying the newlyweds; both Nadia and Najeebullah were killed on the spot. Nadia's brother, identified as the main suspect, allegedly followed the couple with accomplices after the court hearing concluded.

The Question Police Must Answer

Commentators and rights advocates have pointed to a critical lapse: given the openly contentious circumstances — a family-versus-couple dispute that had already reached the courts — why did police not anticipate the risk of an honour attack? Writing in Pakistani daily The News International, columnist Ghazi Salahuddin was blunt: 'The murder of Nadia and Najeeb could be prevented if the authorities were more alert and fully aware of their responsibilities. That they did not apparently care about the precious lives of two young persons may also be an example of the moral degradation of the Pakistani society.'

Salahuddin further wrote: 'Considering the circumstances in which the couple had come to the court, why did the police not suspect the possibility of honour killing? After all, there is a record of similar murders after the victims had left the premises of a court. Were they not, in some ways, betrayed by their state, by their society, and by law enforcement authorities who should have seen it coming?'

A Nationwide Pattern of Impunity

The Karachi killings are not an isolated tragedy. A report by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), drawing on official records and international studies, documents that weak investigations, judicial delays, and social pressure continue to obstruct justice despite laws nominally criminalising honour killings.

The provincial data exposes a stark conviction gap. Punjab — Pakistan's most populous province — recorded 225 honour killing incidents with only two convictions. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 134 cases and also secured just two convictions. Sindh documented multiple incidents but recorded no convictions. Balochistan reported 32 cases and obtained one conviction. Across all four provinces, the conviction rate is negligible relative to the scale of reported killings.

An earlier report in The Express Tribune noted: 'Every now and then, some isolated case of honour killings makes its way to the media. However, beyond individual tragedies lies a bleak national picture, where family forgiveness, judicial delays, and weaknesses in law enforcement allow innocents to continue being killed in the name of honour.'

Women Bear the Overwhelming Burden

Social activist Imran Takkar, who works on women's rights, told The Express Tribune that women account for 90 per cent of honour killing victims in Pakistan. 'Women are already considered a weak and oppressed segment of society, and families often withdraw in such cases,' he said. 'If the police builds stronger cases, investigations are conducted in an improved manner, and prosecution plays its role, harsher punishments are possible.'

A separate report from February had already flagged honour killings as a serious and worsening human rights issue in Pakistan, with incident numbers remaining high and conviction rates critically low — a pattern the Karachi case now underscores with renewed urgency. Whether authorities will implement structural reforms to police sensitisation and court-side protection protocols remains to be seen.