11 suspects arrested after viral video of alleged ‘honour’ killing in Balochistan

Quetta (Web Desk): In a harrowing episode that has sparked national outrage, authorities in Balochistan have taken 11 individuals into custody — among them a prominent tribal figure — for their alleged roles in the brutal killing of a man and woman, purportedly in the name of 'honour'.

The murders came to light after a disturbing video surfaced online, showing the victims being led into a barren landscape and executed in cold blood, triggering widespread condemnation.

Taking immediate notice, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti stated in a post on X that a case had been filed under terrorism charges, and 11 individuals had already been taken into custody.

He confirmed that the operation was still in progress and assured that every person involved would be held accountable. Emphasizing the government’s stance, he affirmed, “The state stands with the oppressed.”

According to police officials, the Serious Crime Investigation Wing (SCIW) is now handling the case while all arrested suspects, including the tribal leader believed to have sanctioned the killings, are scheduled to appear before a judicial magistrate.

The shocking footage, widely circulated across social media, depicts several armed men dragging the couple from vehicles and then opening fire on them, continuing to shoot even after they collapsed to the ground.

Initial investigations trace the crime back to the Sanjidi area near Dagari, on the outskirts of Quetta, and suggest the killings occurred shortly before Eidul Azha. The victims have been identified as Bano Bibi and Ihsanullah.

As per the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Station House Officer (SHO) Naveed Akhtar, police responded after the video went viral and that the suspects had been named in the complaint, with eight individuals directly implicated and 15 others listed as unknown accomplices.

The FIR also details that prior to their deaths, the couple was taken before a tribal authority who accused them of violating cultural norms, specifically of being involved in a relationship deemed immoral under the practice of 'Karo Kari'. The tribal figure — later identified as Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai — allegedly decreed their execution.

Police say the intent behind filming the execution and uploading it online was to instill fear in the community. The case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including murder, unlawful assembly, and rioting, in addition to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

Satakzai was brought before an anti-terrorism court where the presiding judge, Muhammad Mubeen, approved a two-day remand for further interrogation by SCIW.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) has taken notice of the matter and summoned both the province's chief secretary and the inspector general of police to appear in court on July 22, underscoring the judicial system’s intent to pursue the case at the highest level.

The heinous act has drawn strong reactions from across the political spectrum. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, referred to the perpetrators as “beasts,” insisting that justice must be swift and uncompromising. He called the murders a test of the Balochistan government’s resolve, framing the act as a manifestation of gender-based terrorism.