A horrifying video showing the brutal murder of a man and a woman has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage across the country. Tribal men in pickup trucks forcibly removed a recently married couple, Bano Bibi and Ahsan Ullah, on the outskirts of Quetta. The footage shows the woman, clutching a Quran, asserting her legal right to marry. Moments later, she is shot three times; her husband is killed shortly after. The execution-style killing appears to be a sanctioned “honour” killing, allegedly ordered by a tribal elder following family disapproval.The video ignited nationwide outrage. Civil society groups, political leaders and religious scholars denounced the act. Balochistan’s Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti responded swiftly: a terrorism case was registered, and 11 suspects were arrested in the following days. “The state stands with the oppressed,” he declared via X (formerly Twitter).Meanwhile, a magistrate’s court in Quetta ordered the exhumation of the woman’s body, now under judicial supervision — a critical step towards forensic verification. The suspect Sardar Sherbaz Khan was remanded to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing for further interrogation. Additionally, the Balochistan High Court’s Chief Justice summoned senior officials — including the IGP and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) — for a hearing scheduled soon.Despite the official registration of the FIR under multiple Sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (302, 147–149, 148) and the Anti‑Terrorism Act, 1997, honour killings remain alarmingly common in Pakistan. In 2024 alone, SSDO documented 547 honour killings amidst 2,238 domestic violence cases — with conviction rates stubbornly below 2%. Across Balochistan and the country, these acts are often sanctioned by jirgas (tribal councils) that claim moral authority—and often go unpunished.Human rights advocates insist that this incident must catalyse change. They argue it exposes glaring loopholes in law enforcement, gaps in patriarchal societal attitudes and the impunity enjoyed by tribal justice systems. Leaders like PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and PPP Senator Sherry Rehman have called for comprehensive legal reforms and assertive action to dismantle “outdated customs”.As forensic teams proceed and suspects are interrogated, the nation watches closely. Will this case mark a turning point in the battle against honour killings — or once again fade into the background of impunity?Courtesy: The Friday Times, Pakistanhttps://thefridaytimes.com/21-Jul-2025/murder-in-the-name-of-honour-how-baloch-tribal-justice-defies-pakistan-s-law
Murder in the name of honour: How Baloch tribal justice defies Pakistan’s law
