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

Thirteen arrested successful Balochistan state for alleged engagement successful the sidesplitting of a mates ordered by a tribal leader.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani authorities person arrested astatine slightest 13 individuals, including a tribal leader, successful transportation with the sidesplitting of a mates successful the southwestern state of Balochistan.

The arrests followed nationwide outrage implicit a video depicting the murders went viral connected societal media, with galore calling it yet different lawsuit of “honour killing” – a improvement reported from crossed South Asia.

The archetypal accusation study (FIR) filed by the constabulary connected Monday identifies the mates arsenic Bano Bibi and her hubby Ehsan Ullah, and says they were apt killed successful May adjacent Balochistan’s superior Quetta.

Honour killings, chiefly reported from Pakistan and India, often originate from perceived family, tribal oregon caste dishonour, particularly successful emotion marriages, successful which the 2 partners wed without the consent of their families oregon tribe, oregon elope. Many specified killings spell unreported.

Balochistan constabulary authoritative Syed Suboor Agha told Al Jazeera they are investigating the substance and are apt to marque much arrests, including Bano’s brother, who is suspected of the murders and “is inactive astatine large”.

The viral videos of the killings amusement a radical of equipped men gathered astir vehicles successful a deserted area. Bano is ordered by the assemblage to basal distant from the vehicles arsenic the mates is pumped with bullets, adjacent connected their motionless bodies lying bleeding connected the sand.

The FIR names 8 suspects portion besides listing 15 different unidentified suspects progressive successful the incident.

According to the FIR, the mates was allegedly brought earlier section tribal person Sardar Sherbaz Khan, who declared them blameworthy of engaging successful an “immoral relationship” and ordered that they beryllium killed.

‘Tyranny of medieval practices’

Pakistan has a dismal record connected “honour killings” and different forms of violence against women.

According to Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), an Islamabad-based autarkic organisation, much than 32,000 cases of gender-based unit were reported nationwide successful 2024, including 547 instances of “honour killings” – 32 of them successful Balochistan and lone 1 resulting successful conviction.

Harris Khalique, wide caput of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the country’s starring rights watchdog, said the killings successful the sanction of honour corroborate the “tyranny of medieval practices” inactive entrenched successful galore parts of Pakistan.

“The state, alternatively of establishing the regularisation of instrumentality and guarantee the close to beingness of its citizens, has protected the tribal chiefs and feudal lords who defender specified practices to perpetuate their powerfulness implicit section radical and resources,” Khalique told Al Jazeera.

Mineral-rich Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but slightest populous province, has besides witnessed decades of struggle betwixt the authorities and taste Baloch separatists, who request secession from the country.

Rights activistic Sammi Deen Baloch, besides a subordinate of a Baloch women’s rights group, said sidesplitting of women has go “a substance of routine” successful the province.

“In Balochistan, women are murdered for love, disappeared for protest, and buried nether layers of tribal authorization and state-backed silence. These are not isolated tragedies. They are the outgo of a strategy designed to support Balochistan obedient, and its women expendable,” she told Al Jazeera.

Baloch said the authorities would not person acted connected the murders had the video not gone viral.

“Baloch women are trapped betwixt 2 forms of violence: the brutality of tribal patriarchy, and the acold repression of the state. One kills successful silence, the different kills successful the sanction of law,” she said.

“The state’s refusal to democratise Balochistan isn’t accidental. It is policy. By outsourcing governance to feudal strongmen, the authorities keeps the portion controlled, its women disposable, and its dissent criminal.”