Pakistan's National Assembly passed legislation on Thursday closing a loophole that allowed people who killed in the name of "honour" to go free, mandating life imprisonment even if the victim's relatives forgive the murder.
Honour killings "claim the lives of hundreds of victims every year", the bill stated, adding that the legislation was "essential in order to prevent these crimes from being repeatedly committed".
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan and the move follows a slew of high-profile killings in the country.
The perpetrators of so-called honour killings -- in which the victim, normally a woman, is killed by a relative -- often walk free because they can seek forgiveness for the crime from another family member.