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Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Express Tribune
14 netted in shocking public killing of couple
At least 14 suspects have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the brutal public killing of a man and a woman in Balochistan, authorities said on Monday, a day after a video of the execution went viral on social media. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed the arrests of 11 people in a statement and later told a press conference that all those involved would be brought to justice. He assured that action would be taken in accordance with the law. The news of the arrests came as Balochistan High Court (BHC) Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech took suo motu notice of the killings and summoned the additional chief secretary (Home) and the inspector general (IG) of police to appear before the court and provide a briefing on the case on Tuesday (today). The case is being investigated by the Serious Crimes Investigation Wing (SCIW), according to the police. Quoting local police officials, Reuters reported that the number of arrested people rose to 14. Investigation Officer Naveed Akhtar stated that he and his team reached Sanjidi, a locality in Dagari on the outskirts of Quetta, where they confirmed that the double murder had occurred three days before Eidul Azha. The victims, identified as Bano Bibi and Ihsanullah, were the same individuals seen in the viral video. IG Moazzam Jah Ansari told Reuters that the man who shot and killed the woman was her brother, acting on behalf of her family and tribe. According to the FIR, eight suspects were directly named, while 15 others remain unidentified. Investigators visited the Degari area, collected crucial forensic evidence, and recorded statements from local residents and tribal elders. A female police surgeon, part of the team, confirmed that the woman had sustained seven bullet wounds. One accused, Sardar Sher Baz Satakzai – the chief of the tribe who had ordered the killing – was produced in court. The court ordered police to exhume the bodies for an autopsy. The post-mortem report of the victims has now been made public, confirming that both were shot at close range in a brutal and calculated act of violence. Pakistanis were shocked on Sunday after a video surfaced on social media showing the brutal murders carried out in front of bystanders. The footage sparked national outrage and widespread calls for justice. Officials later said that the video was recorded around Eidul Azha – which was celebrated in June. The video shows people in a desert, and some pickup trucks and SUVs in which they had apparently been driven there. The woman is given a copy of the Quran and she then tells a man: "Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me." The man then follows her for a few steps. A local police official told Reuters the woman did not cry or seek mercy. "You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that," the woman says in the regional Brahui language, translated to the Reuters by the official. It was not clear what she meant by "nothing more than that". The man, who had followed her, then aimed a pistol at her as she turned her back to the shooter. The woman, wrapped in a shawl, stood still as shots were fired. She remained standing after two shots, delivered from close range, dropping to the ground after the third shot. That is followed by a series of gunshots. The footage then shows a bloodied man lying on the ground, close to the woman's body. Then, men are shown shooting at both the bodies. According to AFP report, the man first fired multiple shots at the woman and then shot at the man. "We have arrested over a dozen men for their involvement in the incident," a senior police official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The official said those arrested included a cousin of the woman and the tribal elder who headed the Jirga that ordered the killings. Chief Minister Bugti condemned the killings as utterly inhumane. "A case has been registered against all those involved and they will be prosecuted," he said. "Neither the society allows this [killing] nor the government. The government will not show any leniency to the accused." There were reports that the two were shot dead for marrying on their own, which was disapproved by their families. However, the chief minister said that they were not married together, adding that both had children – a mother of five and father of six – from their previous marriages. "This incident has gone viral on social media and the people want to know the truth. There are reports circulating on social media that the deceased were a newly-married couple, but [in fact] the two were not in a marital relationship," he said. "The woman who was killed in the incident has five children and her husband's name is Noor. The deceased man was also already married and had six children," the chief minister, said, adding however that both were brutally killed, which was unacceptable in any way. The most worrying thing about this case, the chief minister told the journalists, was that no one was ready to register a first information report (FIR) with the police. "The parents and children of the deceased were present, but no FIR has been registered so far," he added. Responding to a question, Bugti said that no one obtained this video from outside, rather, it was posted by the killers themselves. He said that in this era of social media, where news spread without research, such incidents must be investigated before forming an opinion. The chief minister acknowledged that tribal jirga system still prevailed. "There is no doubt that we are part of a society where the jirga system is still in place. Somewhere or other we are all coming under the influence of this system," he said, adding that the government would take action against these jirgas. Meanwhile, a murder case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The FIR stated that the victims were declared as "karo-Kari" – a term used for 'honour killings' in a tribal jirga led by tribal elder Sardar Sherbaz Khan Satakzai. Following the Jirga verdict, they were taken in vehicles to a remote area where they were shot dead. The complainant of the case said the gruesome act was filmed and circulated online, causing fear and panic among the public, it added. (WITH INPUTS FROM AGENCIES)
Mint
21-07-2025
- Mint
Pakistan honour killing: Newlywed couple shot dead in Balochistan; 11 held after video of woman's ‘execution' goes viral
Pakistan police have arrested 11 people after a video of a couple being shot dead by a group of men in Balochistan went viral on social media. The video shows men leading the couple out of vehicles and into a desert before gunning them down with pistols and shooting their bodies. According to a PTI report, political figures and activities have called the newlywed couple's murder as 'honour killing', with the incident sparking outrage in the country. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Monday confirmed that 11 people have been arrested. They are suspected of being behind the "honour killing" of the couple, the report added. The graphic video shows about a dozen men surrounding several vehicles in a desert. A woman, with her head wrapped in a shawl, can be seen walking in front of the vehicles as a man follows her, watched by the group. 'You are only allowed to fire at me, nothing else,' she can be heard saying in Brahvi, a local language, before the man raises a pistol and shoots her at close range, a CNN report said. The woman remains standing, before finally collapsing after the third shot is fired. More gunshots can be heard in the video after the woman collapses. Another video shows the bloodied bodies of a man and woman lying side by side, the report added. A first information report (FIR) was registered by the Station House Officer Naveed Akhtar at Quetta's Hanna-Urak police station, the Dawn newspaper reported. Akhtar said he lodged the complaint after receiving the video clip that had gone viral on social media. He also said that upon investigation, his team discovered that the incident occurred three days before Eid-ul Azha. 'The victims seen in the viral video have been identified as Bano Bibi and Ihsanullah,' the FIR said, naming eight suspects who allegedly shot the couple dead. The FIR also mentioned 15 other unknown suspects involved in the incident. 'Owing to the nature of the murder, the case has now been transferred to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing for further investigation," the newspaper quoted Akhtar as saying. Prior to being killed, the victims were allegedly taken to a tribal leader, who declared them guilty of being involved in an 'immoral relationship' and ordered their execution, following which they were taken to the desert and shot dead, the FIR said. 'The murder was filmed and uploaded to social media to spread fear and panic among the public,' it added. The men in the video were heard speaking the Brahui language, spoken in many parts of Balochistan. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called the suspects 'beasts', saying that they deserved no concessions. Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch decried the shooting as an 'honour' killing, appealing to Baloch elders to 'respect women's decisions'. 'As a woman, this chilling incident is deeply painful and heart-wrenching for me,' she wrote on X. 'Killing any woman in the name of honour is not only a heinous crime but also the worst humiliation of humanity.
News18
21-07-2025
- News18
Pak police arrest 11 suspects after honour killing video goes viral
Karachi, Jul 21 (PTI) Police in Pakistan have arrested at least 11 people after a video emerged on social media of a couple being shot dead in an apparent honour killing in Balochistan province. The incident sparked outrage in the country soon after the video was released on social media, with civil society, religious scholars, and political leaders all calling for the arrest and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the gruesome crime. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Monday confirmed that 11 people have been arrested. They are suspected of being behind the 'honour killing" of the couple. Shahid Rind, a government spokesperson, said, "Investigations are ongoing to confirm identities of all involved, when the incident took place and who released the video." The video showed a group of heavily armed men shooting and killing the couple, who were not identified. The men in the video were heard speaking the Brahui language, spoken in many parts of Balochistan. Honour killings continue to plague many parts of Pakistan, with many such incidents reported every year. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a report that in 2024, there were at least 405 victims of recorded honour killing cases in the country. Earlier this year, a man who recently moved his family back to Pakistan from the US confessed to killing his teenage daughter because he disapproved of her making TikTok videos. In another incident, a father shot dead his 20-year-old daughter and her boyfriend in Malir district of Sindh province after they eloped to get married. PTI Corr NSA NSA NSA view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 10:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Brutal 'honour killing' caught on video sparks nationwide outrage
Listen to article A horrifying video emerged on social media on Sunday, depicting the brutal killing of a man and a woman in Balochistan, in the name of so-called honour, sending shockwaves across the country and beyond. As the video spread like wildfire, the public recoiled in disbelief. The graphic images sparked immediate outrage, igniting a firestorm of condemnation from civil society, religious scholars, and political leaders alike. The victims, whose identities were not immediately known, were allegedly targeted by their own family or community members — a grim reminder of the archaic and deadly tradition of honour killings that continues to plague parts of Pakistan. The video purportedly showed that a few armed men were apparently shooting and killing a man and a woman publically. In this video, all the people were speaking in the Brahui language and their accent was the same as that spoken in different areas of Quetta and Mastung, according to BBC. The video is apparently made in a mountainous area where there is a desert around a dirt road. In the beginning, several vehicles and Jeeps can be seen in broad daylight, outside of which there are several people. Apparently, these men ask a woman dressed in a red dress and a wheatish chador to stand some distance from the vehicles. During this, the woman could be heard in Brahui that "only shooting is allowed, nothing else". The woman did not resist, rather stood quietly away from the vehicles. After this conversation, a few shots were also fired one by one. According to BBC, it was not clear in the video whether the man or the woman was shot first, however, after the first round of shots, a voice is heard saying "kill Him," which is followed by the sound of multiple shots. Talking to the media at the Karachi Press Club, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that the incident took place in Balochistan, but did not say when and where in the province. He revealed that one accused had been arrested. "The names of the deceased have been obtained, and the tribes they belonged to, but these cannot be disclosed at this time," he said. Their bodies had not yet been recovered, he continued, saying further that their relatives had not filed any police case. "The pictures of those seen in the video were given to Nadra [National Database and Registration Authority] and with their help one of the accused is arrested. Raids are being conducted to arrest the other accused," Rind said. "Initially, this incident seemed to be taking place on Eidul Azha [which was celebrated in June] but we cannot confirm it yet. Both the families of the murdered persons have not filed any police report, therefore, now a case has been registered on the government's complaint," Rind said. Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti took notice of the incident, ordering a thorough investigation and a detailed report on the matter. He ordered law-enforcement agencies to arrest all perpetrators without delay. "The rule of law will not be compromised. Those who challenge the writ of the state will be dealt with firmly. No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands," Bugti said in a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Secretariat. Rind assured the public that the provincial government would take all legal steps to ensure justice is served. "The Balochistan government will not remain a silent spectator in the face of such cruelty. All legal means will be used to bring those responsible to justice," Rind said. Meanwhile, the provincial government has also appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the suspects. Citizens are being urged to share any information that may help in locating the individuals involved.
Express Tribune
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Baloch slams closure of language departments
Former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch on Wednesday condemned a University of Balochistan directive to close its Balochi, Brahui and Pashto departments, calling the move "a calculated assault on the province's linguistic and cultural identity." Speaking at a press conference, Dr Baloch said the decision — reportedly taken on financial grounds — would silence languages spoken by millions across Balochistan. "Universities are centres of learning, not profit-making enterprises," he argued. "If deficits become the yardstick, half the public institutions in Pakistan would have to shut their doors." The National Party leader warned that repeated fee hikes had already driven enrolment down, while faculty salaries were chronically delayed. "Inflation is soaring, yet educators are told to tighten their belts while billions are diverted to administrative perks," he said, noting that deputy commissioners continue to head development projects despite a court order barring them from those roles. Dr Baloch pointed out the irony of scrapping Balochi courses at home even as the language is taught at universities overseas, including in Sweden. Brahui, he added, is offered at only one institution worldwide — the very department now facing closure in Quetta. Calling the step "an act of cultural vandalism," he urged the provincial government and university syndicate to reverse the directive immediately. "Marginalising native tongues today will rob future generations of their heritage tomorrow," he warned.
