QUETTA: The woman victim of the Balochistan “honor killing” incident was shot seven times while the male victim received nine bullet injuries, Pakistan police confirmed after conducting a post-mortem examination of the slain individuals this week.
The killings in the southwestern Balochistan province, which took place in June, made headlines and triggered outrage in Pakistan after a video showing the couple being shot went viral online last week. The woman, identified by police as Bano Bibi Satakzai and the man, Ehsan Ullah Sumalani, were both shot dead in the Dagari area located on the outskirts of Quetta.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti told reporters on Monday that 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence, including a tribal leader, who allegedly ordered the couple to be shot. Bugti hinted during the press conference, avoiding to share details, that both victims were allegedly having an extramarital affair.
Dr. Ayesha Faiz, a Balochistan Police surgeon, told Arab News that Satakzai and Sumalani were killed on June 4 and buried in different graveyards in Dagari.
“After the postmortem, it was found that Bano Bibi had received seven bullet injuries on her head, abdomen and chest, and Ehsan Ullah received nine bullets on his chest and abdomen,” Faiz said.
Syed Saboor Agha, head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Wing (SCIW) leading the probe, said police have taken nine other people into custody on suspicion of hiding the crime from authorities. He confirmed the victims were involved in an extramarital affair.
“The prime accused in this case is Jalal, (brother) of murdered Bano Bibi who is still undercover and raids are being conducted to arrest him,” Agha said. “Because his arrest will likely uncover further details as he was the woman’s brother, who along with his maternal uncle, opened fire at them.”
So-called honor killings are common in Pakistan, where family members and relatives sometimes kill women and men who don’t follow local traditions and culture or decide to marry of their own choice.
Yasmeen Mughal, the provincial coordinator for the Aurat Foundation, a non-profit that monitors violence against women and cases of honor killings in Pakistan, said 212 people have been killed in so-called honor cases in Balochistan in the last five years. Of these, she said 33 women were killed last year.
Raza Rumi, a Pakistani policy analyst, journalist and author who is currently a lecturer at The City University of New York, said tribal councils or jirgas have no legal or moral authority to decide matters involving human life.
“Honor killings are criminal acts, not cultural practices,” Rumi said. “Allowing jirgas to decide such cases legitimizes violence and undermines the constitution and rule of law.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident on Monday, tasking Bugti to hold an investigation and punish those behind the killings.
“No one is above the law and no one can be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” Sharif said. “All legal steps should be taken to bring the suspects to justice.”
