Pakistan: A Baloch Couple Killed for Love in the Name of ‘Honor’
By Nasir Aijaz
The AsiaN Representative
ISLAMABAD: In a deeply distressing incident that has once again exposed the violent underbelly of tribal customs and so-called “honor” in parts of Pakistan, a young Baloch couple was mercilessly executed during the recent Eid holidays in Balochistan province, reportedly for marrying against their family’s wishes.
The harrowing execution, captured in a chilling video, has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage across the country and prompting swift, though still partial, action by the authorities.
According to electronic media reports, the young woman, identified not as Sheetal, as initially claimed in social media posts, but as Banu or Banoo, was shot dead alongside her husband Ehsan, not “Zarak” as some earlier accounts suggested.
The murder occurred approximately 40 kilometers from Quetta, in a remote and traditionally governed tribal region where local customs and informal jirga justice systems often supersede state law.
The couple had reportedly married of their own free will, a step that defied traditional norms and led to their being condemned by a local jirga (tribal court). In the viral video, Banu can be seen standing with remarkable courage, clutching a copy of the Holy Quran, telling her captors:
“You only have permission to shoot me. Don’t touch me.”
Moments later, she and her husband are shot dead in what amounts to an extrajudicial execution sanctioned by tribal leaders.
Following intense backlash and media attention, law enforcement agencies launched a manhunt for those involved. As per official statements by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, one suspect has already been arrested — a cousin of the deceased woman, who was identified from the viral video.
Police say the individual is being interrogated and further raids are ongoing to capture other perpetrators, including those who issued or executed the jirga’s orders.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged, and the case has been registered under sections of anti-terrorism laws in an effort to ensure severe legal consequences for all those involved.
The incident has stirred a wave of outrage throughout Pakistan. Civil society groups have condemned the murders as a brutal violation of human rights and demanded that all members of the tribal jirga be arrested and tried under anti-terror legislation.
The Pakistan Ulema Council, a body consisting of religious scholars, issued a strong statement, calling the act “un-Islamic, anti-Sharia and a form of terrorism.”
Human rights activists and lawmakers are pressing for a crackdown on parallel justice systems like jirgas, which continue to operate with impunity in many rural and tribal regions.
While this case has gained attention due to the viral video, it is tragically not an isolated incident. Honor killings, often targeting women for marrying of their own will or interacting with men outside arranged norms — remain prevalent in parts of Pakistan. Hundreds of such cases are reported each year, particularly in regions where tribal traditions dominate over civil law.
The jirga system, which remains unconstitutional and illegal, continues to function in parts of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and also in certain parts of Punjab province, often protected by local power structures or political compromise.
The state’s response to this specific incident, while somewhat prompt, will be judged not only by the arrest of the gunman but also by whether it dismantles the larger system that enabled this tragedy.
Real justice will depend on whether the jirga leaders, who arrogated the right to decide over life and death, are brought to trial and whether the government can protect women and men who exercise their constitutional rights to marry by choice.
Until then, Banoo and Ehsan’s deaths serve as a haunting reminder of the costs paid by those who dare to love in a society where tribal honor can still trump human dignity and law.
(This article is based on initial media reports)
