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)