Hundreds of women are killed in Pakistan every year in the name of honor, and while these murders often make headlines, critics say they’re rarely met with justice.
CNN has reported on only a handful of these brutal crimes, which originate from tribal and cultural practices and are often meted out as punishment for behavior viewed as bringing dishonor to a family or village.
We followed up on the eight so called honor killings CNN has covered since April to see whether — once the media spotlight dimmed — anyone was held to account.
Ambreen Riasat, 15
What happened: Ambreen was kidnapped, strangled with ropes, tied to the back seat of a van, and then the van was set on fire, police said.
The girl’s charred skeleton was found on April 29. She was killed on the orders of a 15-member tribal council, known locally as a Jirga, after she helped her neighbor elope with her boyfriend, police officer Khurram Rasheed told CNN this week.
Has anyone been held accountable? Her mother and 13 members of the 15-strong tribal council have been arrested. Two Jirga members are on the run. The case is being put before an anti-terrorism court.
Maria Sadaqat Abassi, 18
What happened: The teacher died from injuries June 1 after her body was set on fire for refusing a marriage proposal, police told CNN at the time.
Has anyone been held accountable? A local committee of inquiry ruled her death a suicide and the suspects were freed, according to Nabeela Ghazanfar, spokesperson for Punjab police.
Her relatives told CNN this week that they disagreed with the committee’s findings and insist Maria was brutally murdered.
Her family alleged the father of a man who was courting her attacked her in her home with two other suspects, burning her to death after an argument.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association launched its own inquiry into Maria’s death and concluded she did not commit suicide, citing that her hands and feet had not been burned. Ali Zafar, Bar Association president, told CNN the report determined police had botched their investigation.
Zeenat Rafique, 18
What happened: Rafique was still breathing when her mother and brother set her on fire on June 8 for marrying against their wishes, police told Pakistan network Geo News at the time.
Has anyone been held accountable? Her mother and brother have been arrested and confessed to the killing, police spokesperson Nabeela Ghazanfar told CNN. Police have presented their investigation before a local court.
The case against them is being pursued by the victim’s husband Hasan Rafiq.
Anum Masih, 19
What happened: Masih was allegedly beaten to death on June 10 by her brother, who didn’t want her to marry her boyfriend. He smashed in her skull with a large wooden stick, according to her father.
Has anyone been held accountable? Her brother, Saqib, was arrested by police after her father filed a police report and has been charged with murder. Saqib told CNN that he didn’t mean to kill her.
The case is before the courts, according to Rana Zulfiqar, a police officer in Sialkot.
Muqaddas Tawfeeq, 22
What happened: Pregnant Tawfeek was killed on June 16, allegedly by her mother and brother, for marrying a man her family disapproved of three years earlier.
Her husband said she was eight months pregnant with the couple’s second child. She was visiting a maternity clinic for a checkup when her mother appeared and “dragged her away” to her maternal home, he added.
Has anyone been held accountable? Her mother has been arrested and confessed to the killing, and an arrest warrant has been issued for her brother, who is on the run, police investigator Muhammad Arshad told CNN.
Authorities included the husband’s version of events in their report to the court.
Aqsa Shakeel, 26 and Muhammad Shakeel, 30
What happened: The married couple were killed on June 15, their bodies dumped in a canal. An autopsy showed that they had been tortured and shot dead, allegedly by family members after a dispute. Police say the family disapproved of the marriage.
Has anyone been held accountable? One relative has been arrested. Police say they are still searching for Aqsa’s mother, brother and uncle, who are wanted in the killing.
Qandeel Baloch, 25
What happened: The social media celebrity was killed on July 15, drugged and strangled by her brother who said he disapproved of her posts to Facebook, where she has 800,000 followers.
Has anyone been held accountable? Her brother was arrested and confessed to the murder in a press conference, saying he was proud of his actions because she had shamed their family. Prosecutors are charging him with a crime against the state, which means a court will decide his fate, even if his family forgives him.
Allah Ditta, 24
What happened: A rare case involving a man. Ditta was killed on July 19. Police said he was attacked by five men who stabbed him, cut off his arms and mutilated his face for allegedly having an extramarital affair with a woman.
Has anyone been held accountable? Police are searching for the five attackers.