Pakistani authorities apprehended a suspect following the emergence of a video on social media which captured the shooting and killing of a man and a woman for defying family wishes by getting married. Known as “honor killing,” this practice is prevalent in Pakistan and neighboring countries where families killed eloped couples to maintain their social standing. The incident in question involved a local tribe council in the Balochistan province ordering the killings, as confirmed by local authorities. Sarfraz Bugti, the Balochistan Province chief minister, declared that one suspect had been detained under terrorism laws once the individuals in the video were identified.
The video, shot in a desert area surrounded by pick-up trucks, depicts the woman being handed a copy of the Quran before instructing the man to walk with her for seven steps and then shoot her. The man complies, shooting her three times, and later, the sickening footage shows the bloody body of a man lying next to her as the perpetrators shoot at both bodies. DW could not confirm the authenticity of the video.
Every year, around 1,000 women in Pakistan become victims of honor killings by their close relatives, such as fathers, brothers, or sons, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Often, the killers evade punishment because of a controversial clause in Pakistan’s Islamic law that allows the victim’s relatives to forgive the perpetrator. Despite efforts to abolish this loophole in 2016, honor killings persist.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, shared the video on X, calling for people to stand against injustice and oppression rather than resorting to violence against the State.
Note: The article was rewritten without altering its original meaning.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-police-arrest-suspect-in-viral-honor-killing-video/a-73345505?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
