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Pakistan honour killing: Collective decision is nothing but whims of the powerful
Pakistan honour killing: Collective decision is nothing but whims of the powerful

Indian Express

time9 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Indian Express

Pakistan honour killing: Collective decision is nothing but whims of the powerful

Written by Mahima Varma A viral video of an honour killing of a couple identified as Bano Bibi and Ashan Ullah in Balochistan, Pakistan — it has been circulating since July 20 — has rightly outraged civil society. Some reports point out that the killing was a punishment for marrying without the family's consent. Others claim that the couple had an illicit affair — each was already married, with children. The killings have evoked the fear of 'punishment for love'. The implementation of repressive customary laws over constitutional laws — the tribal chief invoked religion to justify local laws, with the woman made to hold a Quran before being shot — shows how the system works against those who want to live by their choice. The recording of the video and its circulation for mass consumption were possibly intended to set a precedent for dissuading others from making similar choices. Incidents of honour killings are not new. The groups who consider themselves superior on the basis of class, gender, region, ethnicity, religion and caste perpetrate violence, legitimised by local laws to protect their power in the name of tradition, custom and honour. Notably, sometimes, even the marginalised stand with the dominant local leadership in return for access to material resources, security and moral regard — often trading their own kin's welfare to customary laws. In marriage, honour is tied to subservience and compliance with the social laws. Digressions — romantic love and exercise of choice in marriage — especially by women, lead to punishment: Sometimes death. In the honour killings in Balochistan, the dominant group was men — his brother, the tribal chief and a coterie of male witnesses and shooters. Women were excluded from both the decision of the council and from the site of the violence. The absence of other family members of the couple, barring the woman's brother, also showed the marginalisation of the family within the community. They are punished for their failure to 'control' their women. Marriage accords legitimacy to progeny. And thus, marriage alliances are closely monitored and carefully decided. It represents a social, political and economic alliance. A woman's act of 'cheating' is interpreted as a dishonour to her reproductive labour that gives her the sanctity of being 'wife' and 'mother'. In Balochistan, the role of the woman's brother in reporting the case and shooting his sister shows the intensity of 'shame' that such an act brings to the family. Against this backdrop, honour killings push us to rethink the idea of the collective. What parameters are used to decide the leadership of the collective? Can the 'collective' have a common conscience when there exist both critics and supporters of such a heinous act? Where both customary and constitutional laws are in operation, how does the collective define crime and punishment? Whose view is upheld and whose is marginalised? The solution to address honour killings lies in finding an intersecting point between these views. If customary laws of the collective are prioritised over the constitutional mandates, women would continue suffering. The Balochistan incident is just a symptom; the broader question lies in the patriarchal understanding of love and gender rights. The writer teaches sociology at Jesus and Mary college, University of Delhi

Tribal chief among 14 arrested after ‘honour' killing video from Pakistan goes viral
Tribal chief among 14 arrested after ‘honour' killing video from Pakistan goes viral

Indian Express

timea day ago

  • Indian Express

Tribal chief among 14 arrested after ‘honour' killing video from Pakistan goes viral

At least 14 people, including a tribal chief, have been arrested in Pakistan's Balochistan province after a video showing the brutal murder of a man and woman went viral, triggering national and international outrage. The first information report (FIR) filed by the police on Monday identifies the victims as Bano Bibi and Ehsan Ullah. The killings, believed to have taken place in May near Quetta, were described by police as a so-called 'honour killing.' The disturbing video circulating on social media shows shows a group of men arriving in a desolate area on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province, in an SUV and pickup trucks. The footage captures the moment the accused couple is taken out of one of the vehicles. According to The Guardian, the woman is handed a copy of the Qur'an. Speaking in the local Brahavi language, she says to a man: 'Come, walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me.' He follows her for a few steps before she adds: 'You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that.' The meaning of her final statement remains unclear. The man then raises a pistol as she turns her back to him. After three close-range shots, she collapses to the ground. The video then cuts to a bloodied man lying near the woman's body, followed by a barrage of gunfire as several men are seen shooting at the couple's bloodied bodies as they lay motionless on the ground. A local court has now ordered that the bodies be exhumed for autopsy. Police told Reuters that the woman's brother carried out the killing on behalf of the family, while the local tribal leader, identified as Sher Baz Satakzai, ordered the execution. The tribal chief is among those arrested, said Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, adding, 'No one has a right, no matter what, to kill someone in such a painful and disgusting way, and then video shoot it. It is a crime. It is a murder.' The man and woman, accused of having an affair out of wedlock, both had several children from separate marriages, Bugti said. As per Al Jazeera, which quoted the FIR, the couple was allegedly brought before tribal leader, who declared them guilty of engaging in an 'immoral relationship' and ordered that they be killed. However, Police chief Naveed Akhtar said the tribal chief ordered the killing after the woman's brother complained that she had married without his consent, The Guardian reported. Rights organisations say the case is not an isolated incident but part of a systemic pattern of violence against women. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), at least 405 so-called 'honour killings' were reported in 2024 alone — most of them targeting women. The Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), another watchdog, says just one of the 32 cases reported in Balochistan this year has led to conviction. 'This is the tyranny of medieval practices still entrenched in many parts of Pakistan,' said Harris Khalique, secretary-general of the HRCP, in an earlier statement to Al Jazeera. He blamed both tribal systems and state complicity, accusing the government of shielding feudal and tribal power structures that perpetuate such violence. Sammi Deen Baloch, a prominent women's rights activist from the region, told Al Jazeera that women in Balochistan live under two forms of oppression: 'tribal patriarchy and the cold repression of the state.' According to her, these killings would likely have gone unnoticed if the video had not emerged on social media. 'Baloch women are murdered for love, disappeared for protest, and buried under layers of tribal authority and state-backed silence.' Authorities now say they are committed to prosecuting all those responsible. 'We will make sure they are all prosecuted,' Bugti said. Pakistan's Balochistan province, the largest but least populous region in the country, is mineral-rich but plagued by chronic underdevelopment, tribal conflict, and a long-running separatist insurgency. Activists argue that the Pakistani state's reliance on tribal intermediaries for governance further entrenches patriarchal violence and limits justice for women.

"Can Only Shoot Me": Pakistan Woman's Last Words Before Family Killed Her
"Can Only Shoot Me": Pakistan Woman's Last Words Before Family Killed Her

NDTV

timea day ago

  • NDTV

"Can Only Shoot Me": Pakistan Woman's Last Words Before Family Killed Her

Islamabad: A horrific video has emerged on social media showing the cold-blooded murder of a young couple from Pakistan's Balochistan province, who allegedly got married against their families in an "dishonour" killing. The viral footage shows a group of people arriving in an SUV and pickup trucks at a deserted area on the outskirts of Quetta, the provincial capital, where the couple is taken out of the vehicles. The woman, with her head covered with a shawl, was given a copy of the Qur'an. She takes the religious text and walks ahead towards the deserted hill as a crowd looks on. Speaking in the regional Brahavi dialect, she asks a man, "Walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me." The man follows her to some distance, after which she says, "You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that." It is not clear what the woman meant by "nothing more than that," but the man who followed her took her instructions as a cue and aimed a pistol at her back. He then fires multiple rounds of shots from close range. After the third shot is heard, the woman falls on the ground, presumably dead. More series of gunshots are heard, and then the video shows a bloodied man lying near the woman's body, while a crowd cheers on. The incident reportedly happened three days before Eid al-Adha 2025 in May. After the video went viral, it caused outrage in Pakistan and beyond, with activists calling for swift justice in the case. They also call for laws against crimes which target women who dare to defy local traditions and cultures. The local police have initiated a probe into the case and identified the couple as Bano Bibi and Ahsan Ullah. So far, as many as 13 suspects have been arrested in the "dishonour" killing case. Police said the couple's killing was ordered by tribal elder, Sardar Satakzai, after the woman's brother approached him complaining about her marriage, which happened without his consent, according to a report by The Guardian. The tribal leader and the woman's brother were among the 13 people arrested, police chief Naveed Akhtar said. Per the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) data, the country reported at least 405 "dishonour" killings in 2024, with activists estimating the real number to be much higher, as such cases are often not reported.

Pakistan arrests 13 suspects as ‘honour killing' video goes viral
Pakistan arrests 13 suspects as ‘honour killing' video goes viral

Al Jazeera

time2 days ago

  • Politics
  • Al Jazeera

Pakistan arrests 13 suspects as ‘honour killing' video goes viral

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani authorities have arrested at least 13 individuals, including a tribal leader, in connection with the killing of a couple in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The arrests followed nationwide outrage over a video depicting the murders went viral on social media, with many calling it yet another case of 'honour killing' – a phenomenon reported from across South Asia. The first information report (FIR) filed by the police on Monday identifies the couple as Bano Bibi and her husband Ehsan Ullah, and says they were likely killed in May near Balochistan's capital Quetta. Honour killings, mainly reported from Pakistan and India, often arise from perceived family, tribal or caste dishonour, especially in love marriages, in which the two partners marry without the consent of their families or tribe, or elope. Many such killings go unreported. Balochistan police official Syed Suboor Agha told Al Jazeera they are investigating the matter and are likely to make more arrests, including Bano's brother, who is suspected of the murders and 'is still at large'. The viral videos of the killings show a group of armed men gathered around vehicles in a deserted area. Bano is ordered by the crowd to stand away from the vehicles as the couple is pumped with bullets, even on their motionless bodies lying bleeding on the sand. The FIR names eight suspects while also listing 15 other unidentified suspects involved in the incident. According to the FIR, the couple was allegedly brought before local tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Khan, who declared them guilty of engaging in an 'immoral relationship' and ordered that they be killed. 'Tyranny of medieval practices' Pakistan has a dismal record on 'honour killings' and other forms of violence against women. According to Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), an Islamabad-based independent organisation, more than 32,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported nationwide in 2024, including 547 instances of 'honour killings' – 32 of them in Balochistan and only one resulting in conviction. Harris Khalique, general secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the country's leading rights watchdog, said the killings in the name of honour confirm the 'tyranny of medieval practices' still entrenched in many parts of Pakistan. 'The state, instead of establishing the rule of law and ensure the right to life of its citizens, has protected the tribal chiefs and feudal lords who guard such practices to perpetuate their power over local people and resources,' Khalique told Al Jazeera. Mineral-rich Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but least populous province, has also witnessed decades of conflict between the government and ethnic Baloch separatists, who demand secession from the country. Rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch, also a member of a Baloch women's rights group, said killing of women has become 'a matter of routine' in the province. 'In Balochistan, women are murdered for love, disappeared for protest, and buried under layers of tribal authority and state-backed silence. These are not isolated tragedies. They are the cost of a system designed to keep Balochistan obedient, and its women expendable,' she told Al Jazeera. Baloch said the government would not have acted on the murders had the video not gone viral. 'Baloch women are trapped between two forms of violence: the brutality of tribal patriarchy, and the cold repression of the state. One kills in silence, the other kills in the name of law,' she said. 'The state's refusal to democratise Balochistan isn't accidental. It is policy. By outsourcing governance to feudal strongmen, the state keeps the region controlled, its women disposable, and its dissent criminal.'

Horrifying moment woman is executed 'by her brother' over her choice of husband before the groom is also shot dead in double honour killing that has shocked Pakistan
Horrifying moment woman is executed 'by her brother' over her choice of husband before the groom is also shot dead in double honour killing that has shocked Pakistan

Daily Mail​

time2 days ago

  • Daily Mail​

Horrifying moment woman is executed 'by her brother' over her choice of husband before the groom is also shot dead in double honour killing that has shocked Pakistan

A young couple have been brutally executed in broad daylight in Pakistan after her brother complained she had married without her family's blessing. The horrifying moment was captured on video and posted online, triggering national outrage. The sickening footage, which quickly went viral across social media over the weekend, shows the man and woman gunned down at close range as onlookers watch in chilling silence. Police have since arrested 11 suspects over the so-called 'honour killing', which took place in the remote, mountainous Deghari district of Balochistan. In the clip, verified by local authorities and seen by Mail Online, several men arrive in pickup trucks before confronting the newlyweds. The young bride, speaking in the local language, insists she is legally married. She says: 'Come, walk seven steps with me, and then you can only shoot me,' moments before she is shot three times at point-blank range. Her husband is then executed similarly, with a second man stepping forward and emptying his gun into the already lifeless groom. The video ends with the couple's bloodied bodies lying on the rocky ground. Police identified the victims as Bano Bibi and Ahsan Ullah. Authorities confirmed that no family members had come forward to report the murders, a silence that speaks volumes in a country where honour killings remain disturbingly common. According to Al Jazeera and local police chief Naveed Akhtar, a tribal elder named Sardar Satakzai ordered the executions after the bride's brother's complaint. Both men are among the 11 arrested during a series of raids. Nine other suspects are still being hunted. The footage is believed to have been filmed by an unidentified individual who then posted it online. Farhatullah Babar, a prominent Pakistani human rights activist, praised the young woman's final moments, saying: 'The bravery shown by the slain woman is both humbling and remarkable, as she neither begged for her life nor showed any weakness.' He called for those involved in the 'brutal murder of the newlywed couple' to face the harshest punishment possible. The shocking case has once again drawn attention to Pakistan's grim record on honour killings. Despite national laws banning the practice, hundreds of women are still murdered every year for defying family or tribal expectations, often with little to no consequence. In January, police arrested a Pakistani father suspected of murdering his 15-year-old daughter, a US citizen, for refusing to stop posting on TikTok. Activists are now calling for urgent action to stamp out such killings, as the country reels from another senseless, medieval act of violence.

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