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Sky News
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Police arrest 14 over viral 'honour killing' video in Pakistan
Police in Pakistan have arrested 14 people after a video went viral showing the so-called honour killing of a couple accused of having an affair. More than a dozen men can be seen surrounding several vehicles in a desert in Balochistan in the footage. A woman, her head wrapped in a shawl, can be seen slowly walking in front of one of the vehicles as a man follows her, watched by the group. According to local news outlets, she can be heard saying: "You are only allowed to fire at me. Nothing more than that". A man raises a gun and shoots her three times at close range. She collapses after the third shot, the video shows. More gunshots follow. The footage then shows a bloodied man lying on the ground close to the woman's body. Men are then shown shooting at both of the bodies. The timing and location of the incident have not yet been reported, while the identities of the murdered man and woman have not been confirmed. Sky News has not been able to verify where the video was taken. The video sparked outrage and demands for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. The man and woman had been accused of having an affair out of wedlock, provincial chief minister Sarfraz Bugti told a news conference Authorities had initially said they were killed for marrying against the wishes of their families. "No one has a right, no matter what, to kill someone in such a painful and disgusting way, and then video shoot it," Mr Bugti said. "It is a crime. It is a murder."
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Pakistan police say tribal chief among 14 arrested over 'honour killing'
QUETTA, Pakistan, July 21 (Reuters) - Police in southwestern Pakistan have arrested 14 suspects over the so-called honour killing of a couple accused of having an affair, including a local tribal chief who ordered their deaths, officials said on Monday. The killings in Pakistan's Balochistan province last month came to attention after a video showing the couple being shot went viral on social media. The man who shot and killed the woman was her brother, acting on behalf of her family and tribe, provincial police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told Reuters in an update on the case. The chief of the tribe, Sher Baz Satakzai, had ordered the killing, he said. The tribal chief was among those detained, provincial chief minister Sarfraz Bugti told a news conference in Quetta, the provincial capital. "We will make sure that they all will be prosecuted," he said. It was unclear if the brother was among those detained. The man and woman, accused of having an affair out of wedlock, both had several children from separate marriages, Bugti said. Authorities had initially said the couple were killed for marrying against the wishes of their families. "No one has a right, no matter what, to kill someone in such a painful and disgusting way, and then video shoot it," said Bugti. "It is a crime. It is a murder." The video that was circulating widely on social media on Sunday shows a man shooting the woman in the back at close range, and later a bloodied man lying close to the woman's body. Men are then shown shooting at both the bodies. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. A local court on Monday ordered police to exhume the bodies for an autopsy. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that in 2024, there were at least 405 "honour killings", criticising the authorities for failing to stamp out these crimes. Most victims are women, and the killings are usually carried out by relatives professing to defend their family's reputation, human rights groups say.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Pakistan police say woman shot seven, man nine times in ‘honor killing' incident
QUETTA: The woman victim of the Balochistan 'honor killing' incident was shot seven times while the male victim received nine bullet injuries, Pakistan police confirmed after conducting a post-mortem examination of the slain individuals this week. The killings in the southwestern Balochistan province, which took place in June, made headlines and triggered outrage in Pakistan after a video showing the couple being shot went viral online last week. The woman, identified by police as Bano Bibi Satakzai and the man, Ehsan Ullah Sumalani, were both shot dead in the Dagari area located on the outskirts of Quetta. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti told reporters on Monday that 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence, including a tribal leader, who allegedly ordered the couple to be shot. Bugti hinted during the press conference, avoiding to share details, that both victims were allegedly having an extramarital affair. Dr. Ayesha Faiz, a Balochistan Police surgeon, told Arab News that Satakzai and Sumalani were killed on June 4 and buried in different graveyards in Dagari. 'After the postmortem, it was found that Bano Bibi had received seven bullet injuries on her head, abdomen and chest, and Ehsan Ullah received nine bullets on his chest and abdomen,' Faiz said. Syed Saboor Agha, head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Wing (SCIW) leading the probe, said police have taken nine other people into custody on suspicion of hiding the crime from authorities. He confirmed the victims were involved in an extramarital affair. 'The prime accused in this case is Jalal, (brother) of murdered Bano Bibi who is still undercover and raids are being conducted to arrest him,' Agha said. 'Because his arrest will likely uncover further details as he was the woman's brother, who along with his maternal uncle, opened fire at them.' So-called honor killings are common in Pakistan, where family members and relatives sometimes kill women and men who don't follow local traditions and culture or decide to marry of their own choice. Yasmeen Mughal, the provincial coordinator for the Aurat Foundation, a non-profit that monitors violence against women and cases of honor killings in Pakistan, said 212 people have been killed in so-called honor cases in Balochistan in the last five years. Of these, she said 33 women were killed last year. Raza Rumi, a Pakistani policy analyst, journalist and author who is currently a lecturer at The City University of New York, said tribal councils or jirgas have no legal or moral authority to decide matters involving human life. 'Honor killings are criminal acts, not cultural practices,' Rumi said. 'Allowing jirgas to decide such cases legitimizes violence and undermines the constitution and rule of law.' Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident on Monday, tasking Bugti to hold an investigation and punish those behind the killings. 'No one is above the law and no one can be allowed to take the law into their own hands,' Sharif said. 'All legal steps should be taken to bring the suspects to justice.'
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Married couple shot dead in name of ‘honour'
Police have arrested 11 suspects after a video emerged on social media of a woman and a man being shot and killed for marrying against the wishes of their families, in a so-called honour killing, authorities said. The couple, who were not identified, were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council last month in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, according to provincial authorities, who investigated after the video went viral. Eleven suspects have been arrested, the provincial chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, said in a statement yesterday, hours after he announced that the location and people in the video had been identified. The video shows the woman tell 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 said 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 Brahavi language. 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. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that in 2024, there were at least 405 'honour killings', criticising the authorities for failing to stamp out these crimes. Most victims are women, and the killings are usually carried out by relatives professing to defend their family's reputation, rights groups say. — Reuters
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- 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)
