MASTUNG/QUETTA: A married couple was shot dead allegedly by the woman’s brothers in Balochistan’s Mastung district for “honour”, it emerged on Wednesday.
This is the second shocking incident to come from Balochistan in less than a month. Previously, a video went viral, which showed a group of men forcing a couple out of a vehicle and leading them into a desert, where they were shot at close range following orders of a tribal jirga in Degari.
Meanwhile, the Mastung couple, who were in their late 20s and originally residents of Panjgur, were shot dead at a local hotel in Lakpass area of Mastung, according to the Levies officials.
The victims were identified as Muhammad Shoaib and his wife, who contracted a love marriage seven years ago, which had later been accepted by the woman’s family following reconciliation.
They added that the couple was travelling to Quetta from Panjgur at the invitation of the woman’s brothers under the pretence of a family gathering.
According to the Levies, the woman’s brothers arrived at the hotel and fatally shot the couple before fleeing the scene.
The slain couple were parents of two children aged six and three, while the woman was pregnant at the time of her death, the officials said.
Five brothers of the slain woman were booked in the murder case registered at a Levies station over the complaint of Shoaib’s brother. The Levies said that raids were being conducted to arrest the accused.
The woman’s brothers lured the couple under false pretences and killed them, stated the First Information Report (FIR).
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has taken notice of the incident. A spokesperson confirmed that the authorities concerned have been directed to ensure immediate action and arrest of the culprits.
The Degari honour killing incident had gained attention after the video went viral last week, sparking outrage in Pakistan and leading to the arrest of more than a dozen people, including a tribal chief.
In Pakistan, ‘honour’ killings continued to claim the lives of women throughout 2024.
According to the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) 2024 report ‘Mapping Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan’, 2,238 cases of domestic violence, 547 cases of honour killings and 5,339 cases of rape were reported across the country, while conviction rates stood below 2% for each of these crimes.
From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to ‘honour’ crimes in the country. The previous two years also saw a consistent rise in murders related to the so-called ‘honour’.
In 2023, the country saw a total of 490 ‘honour’ killing incidents taking place, while in 2022, as many as 590 people lost their lives to ‘honour’ killing.
