An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta on Wednesday extended the physical remand of tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz for 10 more days in connection with the killing of a couple who were shot dead ahead of Eid ul Adha for so-called honour.
The woman, identified by police as Bano Bibi and the man, Ehsan Ullah, were both shot dead on the orders of a local tribal jirga for honour in Dagari, situated on the outskirts of the provincial capital.
The incident gained attention after a video circulating on social media last week sparked outrage in Pakistan after it showed a couple being shot dead in Dagari.
Sherbaz was produced before the court today following the completion of his two-day remand.
During the hearing, police sought more time for further interrogation, which the court approved and handed him over to the Serious Crimes Investigation Wing (SCIW).
According to post-mortem examinations, the woman was shot seven times and the man nine times. The autopsies were carried out at the Dagari coal mine graveyard.
A case was also registered against suspects on the state’s complaint at Quetta’s Hanna-Urak Police Station.
According to the FIR, the case was registered under Sections 302 (murder), 149 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Addressing the press conference two days ago, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that 11 suspects had been arrested in the case so far, with more raids underway to apprehend others.
He had said that none of the accused would be spared, adding that the man and woman were not married to each other and each had five to six children.
Bugti had assured that the state stands with the victims and efforts will be made to ensure punishments through the due legal process.
“We took action even before the video went viral,” he had said, adding that the DSP concerned had already been suspended.
A day ago, the Balochistan Assembly unanimously passed a joint resolution condemning the murder of a man and a woman in the Digari area near Quetta, reportedly carried out in the name of “honour.”
The resolution was presented by Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola on behalf of the members of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, including provincial ministers and assembly members Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi, Shahnaz Umrani, Shahida Rauf, Farah Azeem Shah, Salma Bibi, Umm-e-Kulsoom, and Safia Bibi, The News reported.
The resolution denounced the tragic incident, describing it as a horrifying example of the continued misuse of the concept of “honour” to justify the killing of innocent individuals — particularly women. “Such acts are not only condemnable and shameful but also an assault on the peace and stability of society as a whole,” the resolution stated.
It emphasised that honour killings have no connection to Baloch cultural values, provincial or national traditions, or any religious or moral principles, calling them entirely inhumane and contrary to both legal and ethical standards.
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A judicial magistrate in Quetta has ordered the exhumation of a woman’s body who was brutally killed in the name of so-called honour in Balochistan’s Dagari, situated on the outskirts of the provincial capital.
The exhumation is being carried out under the supervision of the judicial magistrate.
The incident gained national attention after a video went viral on social media, showing a group of men forcing a couple out of a vehicle and leading them into a desert, where they were shot at close range.
Taking immediate notice, Balochistan CM Bugti in an update on X, said that a case on terrorism charges was registered and 11 suspects had been arrested so far, adding that the operation was ongoing and all culprits would be brought to justice. “The state stands with the oppressed,” he declared.
However, the police on Monday arrested two more people in the gruesome murder case, including the prime suspect.
A case was also registered against suspects on the state’s complaint at Quetta’s Hanna-Urak Police Station.
According to the FIR, the case was registered under Sections 302 (murder), 149 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Meanwhile, a local court in Quetta on Monday handed over suspect Sardar Sherbaz Khan to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing on a one-day physical remand for further interrogation in the murder case.
In a separate development, Balochistan High Court (BHC) chief justice has taken notice of the incident and has summoned the additional chief secretary (Home) and IGP Balochistan for tomorrow’s hearing.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club separately a day earlier, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said that the personnel from the provincial police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were present in the area.
He said that both families did not report the incident; however, the state became a complainant to take action against the culprits.
Rind said that the authorities sent data to the National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) to identify people in the video, as well as the excise department was approached to trace the motorcycle via its number plate.
Sharing further details with the journalists, the spokesperson said that tribes and persons were also traced; however, the identities of those were not being disclosed “due to a strategy”.
In Pakistan, ‘honour’ killings continued to claim the lives of women throughout 2024.
According to the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) 2024 report ‘Mapping Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan’, 2,238 cases of domestic violence, 547 cases of honour killings and 5,339 cases of rape were reported across the country, while conviction rates stood below 2% for each of these crimes.
From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to ‘honour’ crimes in the country. The previous two years also saw a consistent rise in murders related to the so-called ‘honour’.
In 2023, the country saw a total of 490 ‘honour’ killing incidents taking place, while in 2022, as many as 590 people lost their lives to ‘honour’ killing.
