An anti -terrorism court of Quetta extended on Wednesday the physical return of the tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai, one of the main suspects in the murder of ‘honor’ of a man and a woman, for 10 more days.
The viral video of the murder showed a group of men who took a couple of vehicles and the desert before shooting them with guns and shooting the bodies. Political figures and activists said it was a ‘honor’ murder incident. Baluchistan’s prime minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Sunday that he had ordered the provincial police to take immediate measures, after what a suspect was arrested.
Sardar Satakzai is one of the main suspects in the case and was presented to Quetta ATC on Monday before being delivered to the investigation of serious crimes (SCIW) in a two -day physical return in the judge’s order at the request of the police.
It was presented today at the ATC before Judge Muhammad Mueen, who accepted the police application and granted Satakzai’s physical prison for another 10 days, giving SCIW.
Separately, a video statement of the woman’s mother emerged in which she defended the incident and said it occurred according to the local custom and tradition. She said the decision was taken by a jurga and that Satakzai had no role, asking for her release.
The Pakistan’s Ulema Council (PUC) strongly condemned the mother’s statement, declaring her contrary to Islamic teachings, as well as the Constitution and the law.
The PUC said the comments suggested that the murder was committed with the consent of the parents, a revelation that called “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
The PUC declared that it was the responsibility of the State, the agencies of application of the law, the government of Baluchistan and the provincial judiciary to take firm measures against all those that facilitate perpetrators.
He categorically rejected the justification of the parents, stating that he violated Islamic principles and the Constitution.
When qualifying the incident, condemnable and tragic, the PUC requested comprehensive investigation and emphasized that justice must be attended without delay or negligence. He urged the State to fulfill its constitutional and moral duty ensuring that all those responsible were taken before justice.
PUC president Tahir Ashraph also said that parents had no right to forgive the murderers or kill their own children.
In Pakistan, ‘honor’ murders continued to claim the lives of women throughout 2024, perpetuated by deeply rooted social beliefs about family dignity and shame.
Pakistan Human Rights Commission data show that in 2024, ‘honor’ murders continued to be a serious problem in all Pakistan, with particularly high figures in Sindh and Punjab. From January to November, a total of 346 people were victims of “honoring” crimes in the country.
The previous two years also saw a constant increase in murders related to the so -called ‘honor’.
