Pakistan police say tribal chief among 14 arrested over ‘honour killing’ of couple
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Police officers escorting tribal chief Sher Baz Satakzai (right), who had ordered the killing of a couple accused of having an affair, to a court hearing on July 21.
PHOTO: EPA
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- Pakistani police arrested 14 suspects, including tribal chief Sher Baz Satakzai, for ordering the "honour killing" of a couple accused of adultery in Balochistan.
- A video showed the couple being shot; the woman's brother killed her, acting for the family. Chief Minister Bugti condemned the "painful and disgusting" act.
- The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported at least 405 "honour killings" in 2024, highlighting authorities' failure to prevent these crimes.
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QUETTA, Pakistan – The police in south-western Pakistan have arrested 14 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 July 21.
The killings in Pakistan’s Balochistan province in June came to global 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, the police chief 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, Mr Bugti said. The 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 Mr Bugti. “It is a crime. It is a murder.”
A video of the couple’s deaths went viral online.
SCREENSHOT: X/@SHERRYREHMAN
The video that was circulating widely on social media on July 20 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 July 21 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. REUTERS
