Many more cases go unreported. Almost all go unpunished. The number of such killings appears to be steadily increasing as the perception of what constitutes honor widens. The flimsiest of suspicions, such as a rumor spread in a village, or in one extreme case, a man's dream of his wife's adultery, is enough to elicit lethal violence. Women are not even given a chance to clear up possible misunderstandings.
Tradition decrees only one method to restore honor - to kill the offending woman.
Some awareness of rights has seeped into the secluded world of women in Pakistan. The backlash has been both harsh and swift, resulting in an increase of honor killings in Pakistan. Originally a Baloch and Pashtun tribal custom, honor killings are founded in the twin concepts of honor and commodification of women. Women are married off for a bride price paid to the father. If this commodity is 'damaged,' the proprietor, the father or husband, has a right to compensation.