EDITORIAL: The recent viral video showing a couple — Bano Satakzai and Ehsan Samalani — being brutally executed in the Dagari area of Quetta for contracting a love marriage has sent shockwaves across the country.
Captured on camera by one of the spectators, the horrifying footage is a chilling reminder that the barbaric practice of so-called “honour” killings continues to claim innocent lives under the pretext of preserving family or tribal honour.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari denounced the perpetrators as “beasts” undeserving of mercy. Senator Sherry Rehman described the act as “gender terrorism” and called for urgent legal reforms to eradicate such archaic customs.
Human rights organisations, including the Aurat Foundation and Baloch gender rights activists, also condemned the atrocity, citing data that 212 honour killing victims were reported in Balochistan alone between 2019 and 2024. Nationwide, over 400 cases were reported in 2024, with the majority occurring in Sindh and Punjab.
Tragically, many ‘honour’ crimes go unreported, often buried within tribal/rural structures or dismissed as private family matters because the perpetrators are usually close male relatives such as a father, brother, or uncle.
Compounding the problem has been the misuse of the Qisas and Dyiat laws, which allowed families to “forgive” the killers, letting them to walk free.
While legal framework has seen improvements — particularly after the 2016 murder of Qandeel Baloch, which led to removal of such loopholes — deeply entrenched societal norms continue to empower local jirgas and panchiats (village councils) to act with impunity. In this case, a tribal jirga reportedly ordered the killings over a month ago. But it only came to public attention recently, after the video began circulating on social media.
The disturbing footage prompted the state to take a decisive action. On the orders of Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, a terrorism case was registered — an unusual but significant move that signals the state’s seriousness in pursuing the perpetrators. Soon afterwards, the Levies and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested one key suspect along with 13 others, including a tribal chief, and raids are ongoing to apprehend other suspects.
By taking ownership of the case and initiating prosecution on its own, the government has set an important precedent. However, this momentum must not be allowed to falter. A clear protocol is needed to ensure that every reported ‘honour killing’ triggers a prompt, firm, and state-led response.
Legal proceedings must be transparent and ought to hold all those involved, including the tribal elders who sanctioned the killing, fully accountable.
The system must rise to the occasion not just this time, but every time such violence is committed in the name of honour. Only then can we expect to move towards a future where justice prevails over negative traditions, and human dignity triumphs over brutality.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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