Pakistan authorities arrest 11 suspects over ‘honour’ killing video
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Version 3 of 5. Arrests made in Balochistan after video showing man and woman being fatally shot went viral Thirteen suspects have been arrested in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province after a video emerged of a woman and a man being shot dead for marrying against the wishes of their families in an “honour” killing. The footage caused uproar in the country, with activists demanding swift justice and a stop to the crime, which targets women who do not follow local traditions and culture or decide to marry someone of their choosing. The provincial chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, announced the arrests hours after saying the location and people in the video had been identified. In the video a group of people are seen arriving in a deserted area on the outskirts of Quetta, the provincial capital in an SUV and pickup trucks. The couple are taken out of one the vehicles, and the woman is given a copy of the Qur’an. She tells a man in the regional Brahavi language: “Come, walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me.” He follows her for few steps and she then says: “You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that.” It is not clear what she means by “nothing more than that”. The man who followed her then aims a pistol at her as she turns her back to him. Shots are fired from close range, and after the third shot she drops to the ground. A series of gunshots follows and the footage then shows a bloodied man lying on the ground close to the woman’s body. Men are shown shooting at both of the bodies. Local police identified the bride and groom as Bano Bibi and Ahsan Ullah and released some of the suspects’ names, saying the provincial government had initiated the investigation as none of the couple’s family members had come forward. A tribal elder, Sardar Satakzai, had ordered the couple killed after the bride’s brother complained she had married without his consent, said the police chief, Naveed Akhtar. Both were among the 13 people arrested in a series of raids and authorities were looking for nine more suspects, he said. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said there were at least 405 “honour” killings in 2024, criticising the authorities for failing to stamp out the crimes. Activists say the real number will be much higher because many families don’t report cases. Most victims are women, and the killings are usually carried out by relatives professing to defend their family’s reputation, human rights groups say. Most cases have been reported in Punjab and Sindh provinces. Conservative families in many parts of Pakistan and India do not allow couples to marry against their wishes. In some cases tribal chiefs, many of whom are also local legislators, have defended the killings, and chiefs accused of killings and abduction have not been punished. The HRCP’s secretary general, Harris Khalique, said: “These norms are guarded and practices perpetuated by the feudal and tribal chieftains to maintain their control over both their people and resources. “Regrettably, in many cases, the state not only protects these local chieftains but even facilitates their presence in Pakistani legislatures. “This patronage must stop and anyone responsible for such heinous crimes must be brought to the book.” Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report |