11 Suspects including arrested in Balochistan couple’s killing

Mon, July 21, 2025

At least 11 more suspects, including a tribal leader, were arrested on Monday for their alleged involvement in the killing of a man and a woman in Balochistan after a video of the murder went viral on social media, with the case now handed over to the Serious Crimes Investigation Wing (SCIW), according to the police.

According to SCIW Superintendent of Police (SP) Syed Saboor Agha, “Eleven people have been arrested, including a tribal leader who issued directives to shoot the couple, and all of them will appear before a judicial magistrate today.”

The viral video showed a group of men leading a couple out of vehicles and into a desert before gunning them down with pistols and shooting the bodies. Political figures and activists said it was an ‘honour’ killing incident. On Sunday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced on X that he had directed the Balochistan Police to take immediate action, following which one suspect was apprehended.

According to a first information report (FIR) — registered by Station House Officer (SHO) Naveed Akhtar at Quetta’s Hanna-Urak Police Station, he lodged the complaint after receiving the video clip that had gone viral on social media, showing a man and a woman being brutally shot and killed by armed individuals.

SHO Akhtar stated that he, along with his team, reached Balochistan’s Dagari, situated on the outskirts of Quetta and, upon investigation, discovered that the incident occurred three days before Eidul Azha in the area of Sanjidi in Dagari.

“The victims seen in the viral video have been identified as Bano Bibi and Ihsanullah,” the FIR said, naming eight suspects who allegedly shot the couple dead. The FIR also mentioned 15 other unknown suspects involved in the incident.

SHO Naveed Akhtar said, “Owing to the nature of the murder, the case has now been transferred to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing for further investigation.”

Prior to being killed, the victims were allegedly taken to a tribal leader, who declared them guilty of being involved in an ‘immoral relationship’ (locally termed ‘Karo Kari’) and ordered their execution, following which they were taken to the [desert] and shot dead, the FIR said.

“The murder was filmed and uploaded to social media to spread fear and panic among the public,” it added.

According to the FIR, a case was registered against the suspects under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

One of the main suspects — tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai — was presented before an anti-terrorism court today with Judge Muhammad Mubeen presiding over the case. The suspect was handed over to SCIW on a two-day physical remand on the judge’s order upon the police’s request.

Chief Justice Balochistan High Court Justice Rozi Khan Barrech took notice of the case and summoned the additional chief secretary and inspector general of police Balochistan to the court in the matter.

In a press release issued by BHC — it was notified that Justice Barrech “has taken notice of the news circulating on electronic, print and social media of the murder of a couple for marrying out of choice at Dagari”. The statement added that, “In this matter, the chief justice has summoned the chief secretary and IG Balochistan to court on July 22, 2025”.

The postmortem report on the slain couple has revealed that the woman was shot seven times and the man was shot nine times.

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