A shocking incident of honour killing is reported from Pakistan where an 18-year-old girl fell victim to the abhorrent practice in Kolai-Palas district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Kohistan on 26 November. The horrific act was performed by the victim’s family members following the directives from a local jirga (council of elders) in the Barsharyal village, 150 kilometres northwest of Mansehra.
The instance took place after a video that showed her and another girl dancing with some boys gained traction on social media. According to District Police Officer (DPO) Mukhtiar Tanoli, on 22 November a video and two different images of two girls and boys became popular on social media. On 24 November, he stated that the father and uncle had killed one of the two females on the orders of a local jirga.
The other one was saved by the police who then brought her in front of the court to give a statement. “The girl said she felt no threat to her life by her family and wanted to go with them instead of being shifted to Dar-ul-Aman (shelter homes for women),” the official added. Meanwhile, the boys have gone into hiding to save their lives.
According to the district police officer, images that went viral have been “clearly edited.” The girl’s body was moved to a nearby medical facility so that medical professionals could complete the necessary legal and medical procedures before it was delivered to her family.
A first information report (FIR) regarding the murder was filed by the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Palas police station in accordance with sections 302/311 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The policeman added that while raids were being conducted to apprehend more accused, one of them had already been arrested. He claimed that no such commands were given by a local jirga and that the family members killed her on their own.
However, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Palas, Masood Khan noted, “We have launched an investigation to trace those who killed the girl and who either advised or convened a jirga and sentenced her to death.” No one was above the law, based on the officer, and anyone found guilty of the heinous crime would face the consequences.
The Additional Home Secretary was also instructed by the Chief Minister to initiate an investigation into the incident and produce a report. Furthermore, he issued approval for the authorities to take precautions to keep the second girl safe and protected.
The occurrence happened over a decade after a horrifying episode that shocked the nation more than ten years ago. In 2011, a video of five women clapping to a man while dancing at a family function went viral leading to their murder on a jirga decree. Men and women are both declared guilty and eliminated by the jirga in such killings perpetrated out for the sake of honour.
Three other brothers of the man in the video were also murdered later. The case was brought to light in 2012 by his other brother, Afzal Kohistani, who was shot dead in Abbottabad in March 2019 following serious threats to his life. After receiving widespread media coverage the matter was brought before the Supreme Court in 2013. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at the time of the case’s filing took suo motu notice and imposed a life term on the guilty.
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