A harrowing case of honour-based killings has rocked the nation after a chilling video surfaced online showing a young couple being brutally executed in broad daylight. The incident reportedly took place in Sanjdi Deghari, a remote coal mining area on the outskirts of Quetta, under the jurisdiction of the Zarghoon police station.
The victims, identified as Bano Satgzai and Ehsan Samalani, were allegedly killed by dozens of armed men who arrived in multiple vehicles. The video, now viral on social media, shows the woman clutching the Holy Quran and addressing the perpetrators in Arabic, saying, you only have permission to shoot me Moments later, she is gunned down with three bullets, followed by a flurry of gunshots aimed at the man beside her.
یہ المناک واقعہ نہ صرف بلوچستان بلکہ پورے پاکستان کے لیے ایک لمحۂ فکریہ ہے۔ ایک عورت کا قرآن اٹھائے انصاف کی دہائی دینا، اور اس کے بعد دونوں کا سرِعام بے دردی سے قتل کیا جانا، ہمارے معاشرتی اور عدالتی نظام کی ناکامی کو عیاں کرتا ہے۔ ایسے واقعات صرف افراد کی جان نہیں لیتے بلکہ معاشرے کے ضمیر کو بھی جھنجھوڑتے ہیں۔ یہ محض غیرت کے نام پر قتل نہیں بلکہ قانون، انسانیت اور اسلام سب کی کھلی توہین ہے۔ ریاست کو نہ صرف مجرموں کو سزا دینی چاہیے بلکہ ان رسم و رواج اور متوازی نظامِ انصاف کا بھی خاتمہ کرنا چاہیے جو ایسے جرائم کو تقویت دیتے ہیں۔
Disturbing Video Raises Alarms Across Pakistan
The honour-based killing was recorded on a cell phone and shared widely, reportedly by the perpetrators themselves. The footage has triggered widespread outrage, especially among women’s rights activists and civil society members, who have denounced the act as barbaric and un-Islamic.
The man, seen moving even after being shot, is ultimately executed at point-blank range. The footage ends with both bodies lying on the ground, highlighting the sheer brutality of the act.
Government and Civil Society Respond Swiftly
Taking immediate notice, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti ordered a full investigation and swift action. A case has been registered under anti-terrorism charges, and at least one suspect has been arrested so far. Government spokesperson Shahid Rind issued a strong statement, saying: Such brutal acts are intolerable. These criminals will be brought to justice. The savagery shown in the video is inhumane. No one can be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Advocates Call Out State Failure
Human rights lawyer Jalila Haider, speaking to Voice, questioned how such an act could occur in an area controlled by law enforcement and paramilitary forces.
A jirga and the family decided this incident was posted on the video themselves to glorify the killing,” she said. If the state can’t stop such parallel justice systems, what good is its authority?
She added that such jirga-led executions often occur with the knowledge or even participation of local district officials.
Supreme Court Bar Association Demands Justice
The Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) also released a strong condemnation, clarifying that honour-based killings have no link to Baloch tradition, religion, or the Constitution.
These incidents represent the worst form of violence against women. This is a direct attack on human rights and the rule of law, said SCBAP President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta.
Former SCBAP President Amanullah Kanrani urged the judiciary to take immediate suo motu action, calling the killings a grave violation of Articles 9 and 10-A of the Constitution, which guarantee life and due process.
Women’s Rights Groups Demand Reform
The Balochistan Alliance Against Violence on Women (EVAWG), along with several activists, said that honour-based killings continue because perpetrators feel emboldened by a broken justice system.
One women’s rights activist told Voice anonymously:
It’s nothing short of vigilantism. When people lose faith in justice, they take it into their own hands, and that’s when tragedies like this happen.
She cited previous incidents like the 2008 Naseer Abad case, where women were buried alive, and the accused walked free after claiming it was part of tribal customs. Our laws often say ‘excluding tribal areas’, why? Why should any area be excluded from justice? she asked.
In short, this horrific case of honour-based killing has reignited urgent calls for legal reforms, improved protection for women, and an end to parallel justice systems like jirgas.
While unconfirmed reports suggest more arrests have been made, the government is yet to release any further details.
This is a wake-up call; the state must not only punish the killers but also dismantle the toxic societal structures that enable such acts. Honour-based killings are not culture, they are cold-blooded murder.
