Pakistan, Feb. 2 -- The recent case in the Sindh High Court does not shock anyone; it is just the reminder an ongoing crisis of gender-based violence in Pakistan. A newspaper story tells that a young woman, who had sought protection after entering a free-will marriage, was killed at the hands of her maternal uncle. And this happened despite her petition for safety and she became another victim of a society where women's choices often lead to violence.

The Sindh High Court was quick to take action when the woman, identified as Shehzadi from Jamshoro, sought protection from harassment. The court granted her request on the first hearing. Unfortunately, societal norms cut short her life in Karachi, where she was murdered. The news story dema...