There are days when opening the news becomes like opening a wound.
Another woman dead.
Another child attacked.
Another family discussing “honour.”
And I can’t help but ask myself:
Are women really safe somewhere?
I am a Chitrali woman. I am from a place known for its beauty, mountains, peace, and hospitable communities. But now, even the distance of mountains doesn’t seem enough against the violence faced by women.
We have our own stories too.
In 2021, there was a case of alleged marriage of a minor girl from Chitral to an older politician. A local organization contacted the police questioning whether the girl has even reached the age of marriage. The police confirmed that there was an inquiry request.
Then there was Sana Yousaf.
A young Chitrali woman living her dream in the city, having a social media account and building a life for herself. In June 2025, she was killed in Islamabad after allegedly refusing a man’s advances.
Sometimes I think about that.
A girl could leave the mountains, could live in a city, could build her own life yet could not escape the fear.
And then I step outside Chitral.
Charsadda. Islamabad. Peshawar. Punjab. Sindh.
Everywhere, another story.
In July 2026, three people, including two women and one man, were reportedly shot dead in Charsadda in an alleged honour killing. The police said the killings seem to be related to some suspicions regarding a relationship.
And that word once again:
Honour.
But what kind of honour is this?
What kind of honour requires blood of a woman?
There is no honour in murder.
There is no honour in controlling a woman.
There is no honour in making a daughter fearful of her family.
The life of a woman is not the price of anyone’s reputation.
I am afraid.
Sometimes I am afraid to speak.
I am afraid to trust.
Sometimes I am even afraid of the world around me.
"Mujhe dar lagta hai”
But being afraid doesn’t make me weak.
Maybe it just means I am paying attention.
Because each time another woman is killed, I wonder:
Was I the next one?
And the fear
There are days when it seems like every time one opens up the news, one opens up a fresh wound.
Woman murdered.
Girl assaulted.
Family talking of ‘honour’.
And I find myself thinking:
Is there a place where women feel safe?
I am a woman from Chitral. I hail from a place famous for its mountains, peaceful atmosphere, hospitality and beautiful settlements. But now it seems like even the mountains are too close to the violence being perpetrated against women.
We too have our stories.
In 2021, a case related to child marriage of a girl from Chitral with a much older politician became a hot topic on a national level. It seems that a local organization took the matter up with police and asked whether or not the girl was old enough to marry.
Then came the case of Sana Yousaf.
Sana Yousaf was a young girl hailing from Chitral who went to live in Islamabad with dreams of a future for herself and a life online. She was murdered in Islamabad in June 2025 reportedly because she refused to oblige a man’s advances.
And I sometimes wonder:
Can a girl leave the mountains,
live in a city and lead a life of her own without the fear of getting attacked?
ہم لڑکیو۪ کو آخر کہاں لے جائیں,
جہاں ہماری جان محفوظ ہو؟
Where do we take our daughters
when even safety has become a question?
And then I go beyond Chitral.
Charsadda. Islamabad. Peshawar. Punjab. Sindh.
And yet again, somewhere else, yet another tale.
In July 2026, two women and a man were allegedly murdered in Charsadda due to honour killing. According to police, there seemed to be some relation between the killings and suspicions regarding an affair.
And once again, that same word:
Honour.
But what honour?
What kind of honour is required a woman’s death?
Murder does not reflect any honour.
No honour in controlling a woman.
No honour in making a girl scared of her own family.
A woman’s life can never be the ransom of someone’s prestige.
I am scared.
Scared to speak sometimes.
Scared to trust others.
Scared of the world many times.
Mujhe dar lagta hai.
However, I do not believe that being scared would make me weak.
Perhaps, this just shows that I am careful.
For every time another female is murdered, I think:
Could it have been me?
Could it have been my sister?
Could it have been my friend?
Could it have been my cousin?
The fear isn’t just for the women of my age group.
Five month babies aren’t safe.
Nor young girls.
Nor mothers.
Even grandmothers aren’t safe.
When are we supposed to stop being afraid then?
Violence should be termed violence itself and not honour. Control. Violence. Murder.
The fact that a girl says no is not shame.
A woman making choices in life is not shame.
A woman leaving a relationship is not shame.
A woman talking about the harassment is not shame.
Shame lies in making a society that forces a woman to make a choice between her freedom and safety.
I don’t want a woman to be in news for just three days and then forgotten by us.
I don’t want to read a message of condolences for her.
What I want is prevention.
I want accountability.
I want families to protect their daughters and not control them.
I want boys to understand that women are humans and not possessions.
And being a woman, what I want for the girls coming after me is:
Study.
Dream.
Say No.
Speak.
Choose.
And come back home alive.
Being a woman,
I am afraid.
But I don’t want this fear to be passed down from generation to generation of women.
ہمیں خاموشی وراثت میں نہیں چاہیے،
ہمیں زندگی چاہیے۔
We don’t want silence as our inheritance.
We want life.
