Balochistan government has confirmed the incident shared in a viral video on social media in which a group of men leading two individuals out of vehicles and into an unidentified location somewhere in the province before gunning them down with firearms and shooting the bodies.
The video shows people in a desert, and some pickup trucks that they had apparently driven there. “Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me,” the woman wrapped in a shawl tells a man in Brahavi language, as she were given a copy of the holy book. Local officials confirmed that the woman did not cry or seek mercy. “You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that,” the woman told the killers.
In the video, it can be observed that the victim woman remained standing after two shots, delivered from close range, dropping to the ground after the third shot. The footage also shows a bloodied man lying on the ground, close to the woman’s body. The graphic footage has spread rapidly and widely across various social media platforms, igniting nationwide protests and prompting quick action from the authorities. After continuous public pressure through social media, the authorities forced to respond with statements, and actions.
In his X post, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that a case had been registered and a suspect had been arrested after a video showing the murder of two individuals went viral on social media. He said the victims had been identified despite the fact that the incident occurred a few days before Eidul Azha this year as per initial reports. Taking notice of the viral video, he said that the orders were issued to police for action. “A terrorism case has been registered on behalf of the state,” he said, adding the law will take its course in this heinous matter.
Shahid Rind, the provincial government spokesperson, confirmed to the press reporters that the tribes and individuals seen in the video have been identified. However, he said that names and identity of the identified persons were not being disclosed at this stage as part of a strategic approach. He said the data of the people seen in the video has been obtained and those whose faces can be identified were being traced through the National Database and Registration Authority. He said that the affected families had not filed any report of the incident; however, the state has registered a case.
So far, the spokesperson said that one person has been arrested, while raids were being conducted to arrest others. He said that the area shown in the video had been identified, but he did not disclose where it was. He said that strict legal action will be taken against all of them whether it was the killers or those who possibly held a jirga. He said such brutal acts were not only intolerable but were also a serious insult to social values and human dignity. He said that those who challenge the rule of law would be dealt with strictly and no one can be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Bilawal Bhutto calls couple’s killing a gender terrorism, says Islam allows women to marry men of their choice
Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto strongly condemned the video in a statement, calling the suspects beasts and saying that they deserve no concessions. “I have faith that the criminals involved in this murder will be brought to justice soon,” he said, adding that this murder should be a test case for the Balochistan government, as it was a gender terrorism. He said that Islam allows women to marry men of their choice and that the constitution guarantees the protection of this right. In her X post, party’s Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman also condemned the incident, labelling it an unforgivable crime.
“Crushing the right to marry is a violation of fundamental human rights,” she said, adding that killing in the name of tribal decisions was a despicable act. She said that the cycle of brutality in the name of ‘honor’ must be stopped. “By mercilessly killing the married couple, not only have law and justice been insulted, but authority of the government has also been challenged.” She said that the chapter of oppression and barbarism under the guise of jirgas must be closed. She emphasized that perpetrators must be brought to justice and that legislation to end outdated customs was indispensable.
In an opinion, Advocate Aleena Khan wrote the crime needs to be viewed through the eyes of victims as an attack on women’s challenge to repressive patriarchy through exercising free choices, and defying their families’ wishes and social expectations. “It would be helpful to change the linguistic tag of ‘honor’ killings, as by using the word ‘honor’ with killing, we tend to see this crime through the lens of those who justify the same on the ground of ‘honorable’ motives,” she said. In Pakistan, the law stands with the powerful – the male gender, she said, and pointed out that the law ensures patriarchal control over female sexuality and reflects a way of thinking in which masculinity means strength, aggressiveness, and domination; and femininity designates delicacy, resistance, and subordination.
Senator Rubina Khalid who is chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program condemned the brutal killing of young individuals over their choice to marry of their own free will. “I strongly condemn the murder of the young couple for choosing to marry by their own will,” she said. Calling the act an unforgivable crime, she stressed that such heinous acts were nothing less than terrorism. “Islam and the constitution empower women to make decisions about their own lives,” she stated, urging society to respect individual freedoms. “We expect that the perpetrators will be punished soon,” she said, and emphasized the need to build a society that upholds freedom of choice and respects the right to life and dignity.
“The Article 25 of the constitution guarantees equality of all citizens regardless of their gender, race, or religion. On a deeper appreciation of this provision, it becomes clear how this formal equality only masks gender bias in favor of men. These gender-neutral principles lead women to believe in equality that looks good in theory but is repressive in practice. This formal equality is put in place by men, and that is why men are more superior to women in reality. These gender-neutral laws benefit men by misleading women into this rhetorical labyrinth of formal equality,” Advocate Aleena Khan said, and suggested change in the community’s attitude towards such crimes by engaging in an internal discourse.
Activist appeals to Baloch and Pashtun elders, intellectuals to respect women’s decisions
In her X post, activist Sammi Deen Baloch decried the incident as an ‘honor’ killing, appealing to Baloch and Pashtun elders, influential sections of the society, and intellectuals to respect women’s decisions. “As a woman, this chilling incident is deeply painful and heart-wrenching for me,” she sid, adding that killing any woman in the name of ‘honor’ was not only a heinous crime but also the worst humiliation of humanity. “Our women are educated, aware, and fully capable of making decisions about their future,” she said, and demanded the incident be investigated in a comprehensive manner so that the suspects were brought to justice and no one dares to repeat such a barbaric act in the future.
Advocate Saroop Ijaz said that continuing ‘honor’ killings demonstrate that harsher punishments do not automatically translate into justice for women. He urged the government to ensure women and girls have access to safe emergency shelter and other services, especially protection, when they report risks from their family. He said that the government should act quickly and decisively to ensure that no interpretation of religious or cultural norms prevails over basic rights. He also urged the investigators to report cases of ‘honor’ killings without bowing to pressure from religious and local leaders, including jirgas – all-male tribal mediation council.
Inqalabi Communist Party, in a statement, stated that there was no greater dishonor than the murder of defenseless and helpless women in the name of ‘honor’. It said that the brutal killing of two women in Balochistan within just a few days – under the pretext of honor – exposed the nature of this oppressive system, which the state hides behind the veils of culture, tradition, or tribal honor. From a communist perspective, it said that the women’s liberation was not merely a moral or cultural issue – it was a fundamental question deeply tied to the struggle for class emancipation. “In response to every ‘honor’ killing, condemnation is not enough but rebellion is the only way forward: a revolutionary uprising that uproots this entire capitalist system from its very foundations.”
In 2004, the parliament passed an act making ‘honor’ crimes, especially killings unlawful. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2004 made numerous changes to the Criminal Procedure Code and the PPC and included killings on the pretext of ‘honor’ under the category of qatl-i-amd. However, even the act, which was passed after years of advocacy from civil society, failed to incorporate some critical changes. The experts pointed out so many lacunas in the act, and said the act merely attempted to create false consciousness amongst women that their problems were being properly addressed and something more than an assurance of formal equality was being done.
In 2016, widespread public protests in multiple cities after a model and social media influencer Qandeel Baloch was murdered by her brother on the pretext of ‘honor’ pushed the parliament to pass a stricter law against the ‘honor’ killings. The parliament trimmed loophole in the law which allowed legal heirs of the victim to pardon perpetrators, who are usually their family members. Under the new law, the murderer would face a mandatory minimum lifetime jail sentence, if convicted of the killing. The experts said that incidents of ‘honor’ crimes were still prevalent in the society at a large scale due to some loopholes in the law.
