The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming expressed deep concern over non-submission of challan by the Balochistan Police in the recent honour killing case of Bano Bibi and Ehsan Ullah.
A video of killing of the woman and the man went viral on social media last month, triggering severe reactions from the masses. At least 11 suspects involved in the killing had been arrested, while the operation to arrest more was ongoing, the Balochistan government announced later.
The 13th meeting of the Special Committee was held on Monday.
“During deliberations on the Balochistan incident, the Additional IGP informed the committee that the case was reported nearly 30–40 days after the couple was shot dead on the orders of a tribal jirga prior to Eid ul Adha.
“The victims, who had contracted a love marriage, were lured by their families under the pretext of a feast, where they were informed of the jirga’s decision,” the NA Secretariat said in a statement.
Following the circulation of the video of the killings on social media, the Balochistan government registered a terrorism case as no application had been submitted by relatives or locals.
“The committee noted with concern the delay in prosecution and emphasised the urgent need for the submission of challan.”
While acknowledging the arrest of several accused, the committee called for intensified efforts to apprehend the main culprit “who remains at large”.
The Additional Chief Secretary, Balochistan, was directed to further refine the tracking system for all the criminal cases—from FIR registration to conviction—and to present the mechanism in the Committee’s next meeting.
Expressing alarm at the rising incidence of honor-based killings in the country, the committee stressed that the persistence of such crimes stems from lapses in the implementation of the 2016 Act.
It urged all provinces to strengthen enforcement measures to ensure justice and deterrence.
The committee was also briefed by the IGP Sindh on a recent case of marital rape in Karachi. In July 2025, a 19-year-old Hindu woman, Shanti, passed away in hospital after falling into a coma, allegedly following brutal sexual violence inflicted by her husband only days after their marriage.
Despite a reporting delay of nearly 20 days, the Sindh Police completed its investigation, submitted the challan in court, and secured the husband’s confession. While appreciating the swift police action, the committee strongly condemned the brutality of the incident.
The meeting was attended by Hon. Members Mr Aqeel Malik, Mrs Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan, Ms Shahida Begum, Ms Shahida Rehmani, MNAs, and Senators Fawzia Arshad and Khalida Ateeb. Senior officers from relevant federal ministries, divisions, and provincial governments were also present.
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