A video depicting the murder of a young couple for marrying against their family's wishes, known as 'honor killing,' spread online, prompting authorities to launch an investigation and arrest a suspect.
On the 21st (local time), according to reports from Reuters and other foreign media, authorities in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province announced that they had arrested one suspect related to the video and were investigating all other relevant individuals.
They are accused of fatally shooting the victims under the direction of a local tribal council (jirga) in Balochistan last month. The video that spread on social media shows about 10 men arriving in pickup trucks and taking a young couple to the desert, where they were shot and killed. This video is believed to have been filmed by the perpetrators.
Kawaja Asif, the Minister of National Defense of Pakistan, shared the video on his X (formerly Twitter), stating that 'they had been hiding for a year and a half after their love marriage and were ultimately discovered,' noting that the jirga deceived them into returning before sentencing them to death.
The provincial government explained that the location of the video, as well as the identities of the tribes and individuals depicted, have been confirmed, and police have launched a search operation to apprehend them. Sarfaraz Bugti, the governor of Balochistan, stated in a statement, 'The case has been registered under anti-terrorism law, and the suspect has been arrested,' adding, 'We will handle this heinous incident according to the law.'
According to the Pakistan Human Rights Commission (HRCP), at least 405 honor killings were confirmed in Pakistan last year alone. It is reported that about 1,000 women are murdered every year. The Pakistani government has strengthened penalties for honor killings, including the repeal of provisions allowing victims' families to forgive the perpetrators in 2016.