Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to eradicate honor killings in Pakistan as he congratulated director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on her Oscar nomination for a documentary film on the practice.
A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness, which tells the story of a survivor, was nominated on January 14 in the documentary short category at the Academy Awards.
Hundreds of women and girls are murdered by their relatives in Pakistan each year on the grounds of defending family honor.
Honor killings "afflict several segments of Pakistani society," a statement from the prime minister's office said.
Sharif also "expressed the government's commitment to rid Pakistan of this evil by bringing in appropriate legislation," it continued.
In 2012, Chinoy won Pakistan's first Oscar for a documentary exposing the horrors endured by women who survive acid attacks.
Based on reporting by AFP and tribune.com.pk