'Haq pe ho': Confessed wife killer greeted with full support from lawyers outside court

A Karachi murder case has triggered nationwide outrage, but not just because of the crime itself.

The real shock for many people came after a video surfaced showing a group of lawyers greeting a 64-year-old man who had confessed to killing his 58-year-old wife after she allegedly refused to have marital relations with him.

Instead of condemnation, the accused appeared to receive words of encouragement.

In the now-viral clip, one lawyer can be heard telling him, “You are in the right,” a remark that instantly became the focus of online anger.

For many social media users, the video felt less like a courtroom moment and more like a disturbing glimpse into attitudes that continue to exist beneath the surface.

One user said the accused appeared completely untroubled by what had happened, writing, “He seems so self-righteous and satisfied like feeling no guilt over a murder. He thinks religion allowed him.” The comment reflected a sentiment shared widely online: that what people found most alarming was not only the killing, but the apparent belief that it could somehow be justified.

Others were stunned by the reaction of the lawyers standing around him. “Wtf, someone is saying haq pe ho,” wrote one user, echoing the disbelief felt by many watching the video.

As clips spread across platforms, much of the outrage shifted away from the accused and toward the legal professionals seen alongside him. One user bluntly asked, “Why are these mentally retarded lawyers saying haq pe ho?” while another demanded accountability, writing, “Cancel their licenses and tell their wives to give them some good treatment of chappals.”

The backlash soon evolved into something larger than one viral video. For many, the incident became a conversation about the normalization of violence against women and the people willing to excuse it.

“Tells you the state of Pakistani mama boys,” one user wrote, arguing that the video exposed attitudes that extend far beyond a single individual.

Another took aim at what they viewed as society’s educated class, commenting, “Every act against humanity is endorsed and justified by the so-called educated class of Pakistan.” The frustration was echoed by another user who wrote, “Pakistani men are monsters and zombies.”

Among the most emotional reactions were those that centered the victim rather than the accused.

“She gave birth to 4 kids for him, he demanded sex. Are women born for the pleasure of men? Do we have no right to be a person even when our bones and bodies give up?” wrote one user, highlighting the human cost often lost in debates around justification and morality.

Others said the courtroom video was only part of the problem. Several users pointed to what they described as growing support for the accused on platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.

“The amount of support he is receiving on TikTok and Facebook is so concerning. I will blame mullahs for this, they made our previous generations zombies and are now doing the same with the next generation,” one user wrote, expressing concern that sympathy for the accused was extending well beyond the courtroom.

By the time the video had made its rounds online, many people seemed to arrive at the same conclusion. As one user put it: “What a sick, sick society.”

And that may be why the clip has resonated so strongly. The outrage is no longer just about a husband who confessed to killing his wife. For many viewers, it is about the people who appeared to stand beside him, the attitudes they believe the video represents, and the uncomfortable questions it has forced into public view.