LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ruled that so-called “honour” killings are non-compoundable offences and that a compromise between the accused and the victim’s family does not give an accused an automatic right to bail.

Justice Syed Farhad Ali Shah rejected the bail petitions of Muhammad Nasir and Parvez, who are accused of shooting and killing 18-year-old Najman Mai in an alleged honour-related killing.

In its ruling, the court said the law does not permit anyone to take another person’s life in the name of so-called honour. It added that neither Pakistani law nor religion permits killing in the name of honour.

Justice Farhad Ali Shah observed that honour killings are contrary to the right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article 9 of Pakistan’s Constitution.

The court further held that a compromise reached between the parties in an honour-killing case cannot by itself become grounds for granting bail, as such an offence cannot legally be settled through a private agreement.

The ruling stressed that no individual has the legal authority to take another person’s life on the basis of family, social or so-called honour.

The court subsequently dismissed the bail petitions filed by both accused, Muhammad Nasir and Parvez.

The decision sets out an important legal principle regarding the treatment of compromise agreements in cases involving alleged honour killings and reinforces the protection of the right to life under Pakistani law.