BBC Homepage Skip to content Accessibility Help Your account Home News Sport Business Innovation Culture Travel Earth Audio Video Live More menu More menu Search BBC Home News Sport Business Innovation Culture Travel Earth Audio Video Live Close menu BBC News Menu Home UK World Business Culture Politics Health Tech InDepth BBC Verify Climate More Science Family & Education In Pictures Disability Newsbeat Asia China India Pakistan honour killings on the rise, report reveals Published 1 April 2016 Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Image source, AFP Image caption, More women in Pakistan are demanding an end to gender-related violence Nearly 1,100 women were killed in Pakistan last year by relatives who believed they had dishonoured their families, the country's independent Human Rights Commission says. In its annual report, external the commission said 900 more women suffered sexual violence and nearly 800 took, or tried to take, their own lives. In 2014 about 1,000 women died in honour-related attacks and 869 in 2013. Correspondents say a large number of such crimes go unreported in Pakistan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said there is no place in Islam for killing in the name of family honour. "The predominant causes of these killings in 2015 were domestic disputes, alleged illicit relations and exercising the right of choice in marriage," the report said. Most of the 1,096 victims were shot, the report said, but attacks with acid were also common. Image source, AFP Image caption, The 2014 killing of Farzana Parveen by her relatives in Punjab triggered protests Among the cases highlighted in the report are a man who shot dead his two sisters in Sargodha, Punjab, because he believed they had "bad character" and three teenage girls killed by their male cousin for "dishonouring" their family in Pakpattan, Punjab. The report said that 88 men were also the victims of honour killings last year. In February, Punjab, the country's largest province, passed a landmark law criminalising all forms of violence against women. However, more than 30 religious groups, including all the mainstream Islamic political parties, have threatened to launch protests if the law is not repealed. Religious groups have equated women's rights campaigns with promotion of obscenity. They say the new Punjab law will increase the divorce rate and destroy the country's traditional family system. Among the most infamous cases of honour killing in Pakistan was the stoning to death of Farzana Parveen in 2014 outside the High Court in Lahore. She had married against her family's wishes. Her father, brother, cousin and former fiance were all found guilty of murder. Another brother received a 10-year jail sentence. The issue of honour killings in Pakistan inspired a documentary film, A Girl in the River - The Price of Forgiveness, which won its creator, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, an Oscar at this year's Academy Awards. In her acceptance speech, she said it was after seeing the film that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had vowed to change the law on honour killings. More on this story Why is a Pakistani bill to protect women unpopular? Published 17 March 2016 The Pakistani women punished for love Published 12 December 2014 Pakistan woman stoned outside court Published 27 May 2014 Top stories Live. Trump lashes out at Nato allies saying US 'no longer needs' help with Iran war 61837 viewing62k viewing Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, urging Trump to 'reverse course' Published 51 minutes ago Watch: Iranians show daily life under air strikes and regime crackdown Published 30 minutes ago More to explore Scotland is about to vote on assisted dying. How would it work? 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