Police arrested 14 suspects for killing a man and a woman in an honour killing in Quetta district. The murder took place before Eid al-Adha on orders from a tribal jirga. A video of the brutal act went viral on Sunday and sparked outrage across Pakistan.
Balochistan Police Chief Moazzam Jah Ansari said that the woman’s family and tribe members planned the murders. He said they accused the victims of having an unlawful relationship. “The woman’s brother shot her,” the IGP said.
Reports on Sunday claimed the couple had a love marriage. Families invited them to a feast and then informed them about the jirga’s decision. They killed them soon after.
A court ordered police to exhume the bodies for autopsy. An anti-terrorism court gave police a two-day physical remand of tribal elder Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai. Police linked him to the crime.
Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Rozi Khan Bareech also took notice. He summoned the province’s top security officials on Tuesday. “Justice to be served,” the CJ said.
Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti addressed a press conference at CM House. He confirmed more than a dozen arrests, including Sherbaz, within 24 hours. “Police are conducting more raids,” he added.
“All those involved in this barbaric act will face justice,” the CM vowed. “We will make sure that all of them are prosecuted.” He clarified that the man and woman were not married to each other. The woman had five children, and the man had four or five from other marriages.
“No one has a right, no matter what, to kill someone in such a painful and disgusting way, and then film it on video,” the CM said. He added, “It is a crime and murder. The people involved must face punishment.”
The government suspended the DSP of the Special Branch for ignoring intelligence. The CM said the crime happened three days before Eid. Families hid the incident, and when police arrived, men fled while women threw stones. He said jirgas exist in tribal society, but the government will stop such illegal acts.
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