Honour and Violence: Gender, Power and Law in Southern Pakistan

by Nafisa Shah

The practice of karo kari allows family, especially fathers, brothers and sons, to take the lives of their daughters, sisters and mothers if they are accused of adultery. This volume examines the central position of karo kari in the social, political and juridical structures in Upper Sindh, Pakistan. Drawing connections between local contests over marriage and resources, Nafisa Shah unearths deep historical processes and power relations. In particular, she explores how the state justice system and informal mediations inform each other in state responses to karo kari , and how modern law is implicated in this seemingly ancient cultural practice.

Genres: Nonfiction

302 pages, Library Binding

Published October 1, 2016

Reviews

[Sadiq Bhanbhro]

This is an important account of a social phenomenon (I call it social sickness) karo-kari (murders in the name of honour), in Sindh Pakistan. The author argues that it is not honour that causes violence but it is the violence that seeks legitimacy in the system of honour. The author presents well researched evidence to support her argument. This book is an important contribution to anthropology of honour and violence in Pakistan.

[Dr Tanzeel]

Honour unmasked by Nafisa Shah is a comprehensive anthropological study of a tradition that has remained masked for many years.
Being a Sindhi herself the writer has a deep knowledge of the prevalent culture and has wonderfully portraited various aspects of the topic.
It shows how the tradition of Karo Kari is interwoven between social, judicial, ethnographic and cultural lives of Sindh and how various factors play their role in its execution.It is difficult however to blame or nominate any specific factor for this issue.
It was my first book on this topic and the first one by Nafisa Shah.
I will definitely read more on this topic.
Over all Honour unmasked is a good book to read. I rated it four.

[Qasim Khokhar]

It’s a wonderful book on a subject which is Taboo in Indus Valley Countries especially India and Pakistan. The miseries of womenfolk killed like sacrificial goats on the altar of ego, lust for lands or money and then masked in flag of honor saving has been brought into limelight with proper research substantiated by factual data. Perhaps it’s the pioneer book on the subject. The writer having herself served as Mayor of the district which Is one of the most infamous in this ‘Crime in the name of Honor’ and as Federal Minister has very systematically unearthed and unmasked a crime against humanity.

[Fahad Nasir]

Review to come