{
  "id": 14200961,
  "title": "Violence in response to a woman's refusal to marry 'profound shame' on society's conscience: Supreme Court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/violence-in-response-to-a-womans-refusal-to-marry-profound-shame-on-14200961",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T12:55:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2036890/violence-in-response-to-a-womans-refusal-to-marry-profound-shame-on-societys-conscience-supreme-court"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court of Pakistan has expressed deep regret over the violence that arises from a man's inability to secure a woman's consent to marriage. In a nine-page judgment, the court, comprising Justices Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Salahuddin Panhwar, and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, condemned the act of violence as a \"profound shame on the conscience of a civilised society.\" The court's ruling was based on the case involving Muhammad Kamran, who had been serving a death sentence for the murder of a woman after she and her family rejected his marriage proposal.\n\nThe court emphasized that marriage is a mutual and voluntary agreement, requiring the free consent of both parties involved. However, they noted the prevalence of patriarchal customs that grant men exclusive rights over women, disregarding their wishes. The court highlighted several customs, such as ghag, suara, and watta-satta, which illustrate how women's consent is often disregarded, leading to stalking, home invasion, acid violence, or even femicide.\n\nGhag, an archaic custom prevalent in Pashtun culture, involves a man unilaterally claiming a woman as his bride without her or her guardians' consent. Historically, this was executed by firing gunshots outside the woman's residence or making a public declaration. The court observed that such practices treat women as if they were territories to be claimed, leaving them unmarried for years or even decades due to the man's refusal to honor their wishes.\n\nThe court also delved into the customs of suara and watta-satta, which operate on the premise that decisions regarding marriage are made by others, often for reasons not aligned with the woman's desires or benefit. Both practices involve a woman from a family with a criminal history being given in marriage to a man from the victim's family, serving as a form of compensation or substitution for a criminal proceeding or financial payment.\n\nThe court reiterates that it is impossible to reconcile these patriarchal customs and traditions with Islamic principles, which require a woman's free consent for a valid marriage. The judgment emphasizes that every individual, regardless of gender, has the right to decide whether, when, and with whom they wish to marry. This entitlement should not be contingent on family, tribe, or societal approval, as women possess this privilege by virtue of their existence. The court firmly states that there is no justification for such behaviour, regardless of whether it is justified by honour, custom, injured pride, or emotions.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: Criticising patriarchal customs and gender-based violence, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday said it was a profound shame on the conscience of any civilised society when a man, having failed to win a woman’s affection, answered her refusal with violence rather than acceptance. “The sole reason he takes her life is to appease his wounded ego, as he was unable to secure her hand and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "Violence in response to a woman's refusal to marry 'profound shame' on society's conscience: Supreme Court",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/violence-in-response-to-a-womans-refusal-to-marry-profound-shame-on",
        "published": "2026-10-13T12:48:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Supreme Court hears church warden murder appeal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/supreme-court-hears-church-warden-murder-appeal",
        "published": "2026-10-13T13:04:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Supreme Court to hear DOGE’s bid to avoid turning over internal documents",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/supreme-court-to-hear-doges-bid-to-avoid-turning-over-internal",
        "published": "2026-10-13T13:34:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Supreme Court takes up dispute over access to DOGE records",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/supreme-court-takes-up-dispute-over-access-to-doge-records",
        "published": "2026-10-13T14:02:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Senior Delhi Police officer to explain: Supreme Court on women journalists heckled, detained",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/senior-delhi-police-officer-to-explain-supreme-court-on-women",
        "published": "2026-10-13T14:41:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}