Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ruled that rejecting a marriage proposal cannot be used as an excuse to justify murder or reduce punishment for the crime. The court upheld the death sentence of a man who killed a woman after she refused to marry him.
On October 13, 2026, a three-member bench dismissed a review petition filed by Muhammad Kamran, who had asked the court to change his death sentence to life imprisonment. The bench included Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.
According to the prosecution, Kamran shot and killed Memoona Shaheen at her home after she and her family rejected his marriage proposal. He argued that he had spent many years in prison and sought a reduction in his sentence. The court found no legal grounds to grant his request.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court stressed that every woman has the right to accept or refuse a marriage proposal. It said anger, wounded pride, family traditions or claims of honour cannot justify taking another person’s life.
The court also criticised customs that restrict women’s freedom to choose their spouses, stressing that marriage requires the free consent of both individuals.
