The Heartbreaking Saga of Gulnaz: Married to Her Partner's Killer, Then Murdered

In a chilling tale that lays bare the brutal realities of tribal justice and gender-based violence, a woman named Gulnaz from Pakistan's Balochistan province met a tragic end. Her story, a harrowing spiral of injustice and despair, began with the murder of her beloved partner, and culminated in her own death just months after being forced into a 'settlement marriage' with his killer.

Gulnaz’s nightmare began when her partner was brutally murdered.

According to deeply entrenched, yet illegal, tribal customs prevalent in parts of Pakistan, disputes – especially those involving murder – are often 'resolved' through an archaic system known as a 'jirga'. These informal councils, operating outside the bounds of national law, frequently dictate outcomes that severely undermine human rights, particularly those of women.

In a perverse twist of fate, the jirga's 'resolution' for the murder of Gulnaz's partner was not justice for the victim, but a forced marriage for Gulnaz herself.

She was compelled to marry Mohammad Khan, the very man accused of killing her partner. This custom, sometimes referred to as 'walwar' or 'ghag', is a form of compensation or reconciliation where women are treated as chattel, transferred between families to settle grievances. Gulnaz's brother, speaking out after her death, revealed the immense pressure exerted by the tribal council.

He confessed that his family was threatened with further violence and social ostracism if they did not agree to the 'settlement', leaving them with no choice but to hand over Gulnaz to her partner's murderer.

Tragically, this forced union offered Gulnaz no safety, only an extension of her torment.

Just a few months into her horrific marriage, she was found dead. The cause of death, according to investigations, was poisoning. The finger of accusation points directly at her 'husband', Mohammad Khan, and his family, who are now suspected of her murder. Her new in-laws reportedly spread a false narrative that Gulnaz had died by suicide, a common tactic used to cover up honor killings.

This heartbreaking case has reignited urgent calls for an end to honor killings and the dismantling of parallel tribal justice systems that routinely violate fundamental human rights.

Gulnaz's mother, distraught and seeking justice, has bravely come forward, demanding that the perpetrators of her daughter's murder be brought to justice through the formal legal system, rather than another sham tribal council. Her plea underscores the desperation of countless families trapped between archaic traditions and a state justice system that often fails to protect its most vulnerable citizens.

Gulnaz's story is a stark reminder of the systemic failures that perpetuate violence against women in Pakistan.

It highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement of laws against honor killings, the abolition of illegal jirgas, and the creation of safe spaces where women can seek legal recourse without fear of reprisal. Until then, many more Gulnazs remain at risk, trapped in a cycle of violence, where their lives are dictated by archaic customs and their deaths dismissed as mere 'honor'.