Video of alleged ‘honor killing’ in Balochistan sparks outrage in Pakistan

A video circulating on social media has sparked outrage in Pakistan after it showed a couple being shot dead in what appears to be an honor killing in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province.

The graphic footage, widely shared since Saturday night, shows a group of armed men forcing a woman and a man to stand apart in a mountainous area before shooting them dead. The attackers are heard speaking Brahvi, a language spoken by some ethnic Baloch tribes.

According to unverified reports, the incident took place in Digari, a coal-mining area in Quetta district. The couple allegedly eloped against the will of their families. Reports suggest the woman belonged to the Satakzai tribe and the man to the Sumalani tribe, both part of the ethnic Baloch community.

In the video, the woman can be heard saying in Brahvi, “You are only allowed to shoot me,” moments before she is killed — a phrase that observers say points to a decision made by a tribal jirga or council.

Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, said the act was “intolerable.”

“Those involved in this incident will be brought to justice and held accountable under the law,” Rind said at a press conference in Karachi.

Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said initial investigations revealed the killings happened a few days before the Eid festival, though the video only recently surfaced.

“A case has been registered under terrorism charges in the name of the state, and one suspect involved in the woman’s killing has been arrested,” Bugti posted on social media platform X. “Law will take its course. Authorities have been directed to pursue the case seriously and ensure the harshest punishment for the perpetrators.”

Police and Counter-Terrorism Department teams are in the area, and NADRA, the national identity authority, has been asked to help identify others involved.

The killings come amid renewed concern over honor crimes in Pakistan, where victims are often targeted for defying family or tribal traditions.

In a separate case this month, a woman was reportedly killed for refusing a marriage proposal, prompting further anger over violence against women.

“These systems of violence persist, but the law does not allow them,” Rind said, referring to jirgas. “The full truth will emerge after investigations."

*Reporting by Saadullah Akhtar