Pakistani religious body declares honour-killing 'un-Islamic'

Islamabad: An Islamic religious body in Pakistan on Tuesday declared that killing of women in the name of "honour" is un-Islamic, days after 40 influential clerics issued a fatwa against honour-killing.

"There are laws in the country to deal with the obscenity and other moral crimes so one cannot kill other in the name of honour," Conservative Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) said in a statement.

The CII's statement came after several cases of killing of women by close relatives for marrying against the wishes of their family.

The Islamic body enjoys constitutional status in Pakistan and gives non-binding proposals to Parliament to make laws according to Islam.

It said, "Provocation after witnessing a moral sin by a close relative is an element of human nature but there is no room to kill someone after being provoked, as punishments for the same exist in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Sharia."

"Every accused should be brought before the court," it said.

The Islamic body further said that only courts can punish a person or excuse an accused in a case of honour killing, and asked the government to implement the laws.

At least 40 clerics of the Barelvi school of thought in Pakistan on June 12 issued a fatwa against honour killing, declaring it 'un-Islamic and unpardonable sin'.

The clerics under the banner of Sunni Itehad Council (SIC) said that honour killing is kufr (infidelity).

At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.

Earlier, the CII came under heavy criticism for recommending in a new women protection bill that a husband can 'lightly' beat his wife.