Couple killed in Karachi lifts the veil on the scourge of 'honour’ killings
The groom, from a Christian family, and the bride, a Muslim, had just been married in a civil ceremony. They were abducted, beaten, and shot to death. For the groom’s father, “Love should not be a death sentence.” According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 405 such murders were reported in the country in 2024.
Karachi (AsiaNews) – On 28 July, a couple was shot dead in Karachi after the Christian man formally converted to Islam in order to marry his Muslim bride in a civil ceremony.
Law enforcement authorities have launched a murder investigation following the gruesome discovery of the two bodies near Clifton Sunday Bazaar.
The victims, Sajid Masih, 28, and Sana Asif, 25, were found in a ditch near the sea, both with gunshot wounds to the back of the head, in what authorities suspect was an honour killing.
The couple, originally from Gujranwala, Punjab, were legally married in Karachi on 20 July, after Sajid converted to Islam.
Investigators recovered two 9mm shell casings and a .30 bore shell casing from the crime scene, suggesting the involvement of multiple attackers using different weapons.
Murder charges have been filed against persons unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.
Arif Masih, Sajid's father, spoke with anguish about the murder of his son and daughter-in-law.
“My heart is shattered,” he said. “My son was tortured – his legs broken, his body beaten, and then shot in the head for marrying the woman he loved. Sana suffered the same fate.
“After their murder, her family came after us. They burned our home. We are hiding, homeless, and terrified. Love should not be a death sentence. We demand justice and protection.”
Human rights activist Joseph Janssen expressed deep concern, saying it is disturbing to see how torturing and killing a human being is considered more normal than swatting a mosquito, and that such brutality has become commonplace in Pakistan.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, reported honour killings have increased sharply, from 226 cases in 2023 to 405 in 2024. Most of the victims are women punished for exercising their right to choose a partner.
For Jannsen, Muslim women who marry Christian men face a growing danger.
“These so-called honour killings,” he explains, “are often ignored or under-prosecuted, despite the existence of laws. What happened to Sajid and Sana is not an isolated incident – it reflects a systemic failure to protect vulnerable citizens.”
The activist also criticises the ineffective implementation of an amendment to the penal code passed in 2016, which was intended to fill legal loopholes that allowed families to "forgive" the perpetrators of honour killings.
“These are not private family matters – they are hate crimes. The United Nations has repeatedly urged Pakistan to act decisively. As a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the state must end this cycle of silence and impunity.”
Sajid’s and Sana's families are now urging both the Pakistani government and the international community to take immediate and decisive action, not only to bring those responsible to justice, but also to protect others who are at risk simply for choosing whom they love.
“The fact that Sana was killed just days after her court marriage highlights a serious failure of the state to protect a woman who was clearly at risk. The government must do more to protect women like her,” Janssen concluded.
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