Pakistan arrests suspect after viral video of couple shot dead in the name of ‘honour’
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A video of the couple’s deaths went viral online.
SCREENSHOT: X/@SHERRYREHMAN
Follow topic:
- A suspect was arrested in Pakistan after a video surfaced showing a couple being shot dead in Balochistan for marrying against their families' wishes.
- The couple were killed in June on the orders of a local tribal council; the video shows the woman accepting her fate before being shot.
- In 2024, Pakistan has seen at least 405 "honour killings," highlighting the authorities' failure to prevent such crimes (Reuters).
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QUETTA, Pakistan – Pakistan on July 20 arrested a suspect 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, the authorities said.
The couple, who were not identified, were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council in June in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province, according to provincial authorities, which investigated after the video went viral.
One of the suspects has been arrested after the location and people in the video were identified, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said in a statement.
A case has been registered against all those involved, he said.
The video shows people in a desert, and a few pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles that they had apparently driven there.
The woman is given a copy of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, 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 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, translated 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.
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.
This 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.
Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
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 killings are usually carried out by relatives professing to defend their family’s reputation, human rights groups say.
Conservative families do not allow couples to marry against their wishes.
Such killings are against the law. REUTERS
