July 20, 2025
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
In a disturbing video that went viral in just a few hours, a couple is seen being filmed on a cell phone camera, while being shot dead in what appears to be an honour based killing. The incident took place in the outskirts of Quetta, in an area known as the Sanjdi Deghari coal mines, under the jurisidiction of the Hana Urak police station.
Taking immediate notice of the viral video, orders were issued to the Balochistan police to take action by the Chief Minister. The victims have been identified in the video, and the incident is said to have taken place a few days before Eid. A case has been registered under terrorism charges, and one suspected killer has also been arrested.
The names of the couple are reported to be Bano Satgzai and Ehsan Samalani.
In the video, the focus is mainly on the woman, who has been brought to the deserted place, and is surrounded by dozens of men, who have ostensibly travelled in a number of vehicles to reach there.
Clad in a simple traditional dress, with a dupatta on her head, she is seen calmly walking ahead of them. She is holding the Holy Quran, which she gives to one of the men and says in Brahvi, “You only have permission to shoot me,”. She then stands on one side, away from them, with her back towards them. She is shot thrice, after which she collapses on the ground.
This is followed by a flurry of gunshots probably meant for the man who was brought with her. In another shot of the video, the close up of the woman, and man can be seen lying on the ground the man can be seen injured but moving after which one of the perpetrators shoots him again at point blank range. He is seen moving again but the video ends there.
The video has upset hundreds of people and there has been furor on the internet ever since the incident went viral. Several posts showed stills from the video, especially by women rights activists, while civil society on the whole within Balochistan has condemned the killing and has distanced Baloch tradition from the violent act.
So-called “honor killings” are nothing but barbaric murders, there is no honor in brutality. These monsters deserve the harshest punishment. Stop justifying violence with culture or tradition. My foot, your ‘honor’.#Balochistan #EndHonorKillings #JusticeForVictims pic.twitter.com/1wKAg8NxyJ
— یاسر بلوچ (@Sarawaan1) July 19, 2025
Talking to Voicepk, Advocate Jalila Haider said that it was surprising the incident went unnoticed in such a high security area.
“The video has been put up on social media by the family itself so that they are lauded of the act,” she said. “Not many people know of this but the incident is older than we think. The decision to kill them was made by a jirgah. Sadly we never know of these incidents until they surface on social media.”
She also said that the area where the incident occurred was an area controlled by the law enforcement agencies, i.e. the FC.
“How did this incident happen without the LEAs not knowing about it?” she asks. “Such decisions made by the jirgah usually are carried out with knowledge of the district administration. It is even possible that someone from the DA was present at the time. They even decide how many bullets are to be shot.”
She expresses feeling disturbed about the incident. “If the state cant control such parallel justice systems, how can it do anything else?” she questions. “On one side our sisters and mothers from Balochistan are out there seeking justice – on the other side this is what they are facing from within.”
Government response
In response to the viral video, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, took notice and ordered an investigation into the incident as well as the immediate arrest of those involved.
The Balochistan government spokesperson, Shahid Rind also gave an official statement on the matter.
“Such brutal acts are intolerable,” he said. “These criminals will be brought to justice. The brutality shown in the video is inhumane – no one can be allowed to take the law into their own hands.”
Bar Association condemns
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) has strongly condemned the tragic incident of the brutal murder. They said that the heartbreaking incident was one of the many incidents where an innocent woman had once again become victim of the most regrettable and condemnable act of so-called ‘honour killing’.
The statement issued by the president of SCBAP. Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, clarified that honour based killings had no connection with Balochi culture, or with any religious tradition, nor were they in any way permissible or acceptable under the law or the Constitution of Pakistan.
‘Such acts represent the worst form of violence against women, which is based on the false perception that the victim has harmed the honour of the family or community,’ said the statement. ‘This issue is directly related to women’s empowerment and human rights. Honour killings in all their forms and manifestations must be strongly condemned. It is time to put in place an effective and strong legal framework to protect women’s rights.’
The statement said that the repeated occurrence of such heartbreaking incidents was proof that society had become infected with the disease of ‘honor-based violence’.
‘Despite this, no individual or group has the authority to present themselves as judge, jury and executioner. Only the state has the authority to provide justice,’ said the statement. ‘These incidents also expose the failure of the state to eradicate harmful and irrational ideologies prevalent in the society. This is a national and social consciousness issue for which the state must play an active role. Those involved in this brutal act have not only committed a serious crime but have also challenged the rule of law of the state.’
SCBAP has demanded the provincial government and law enforcement agencies to arrest these criminals at the earliest and punish them severely to put an end to such inhumane incidents.
The former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Amanullah Kanrani also said in a statement that such incidents were an extreme violation of the constitutional protection of citizens under Articles 9 and 10-A. He said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the judges from Balochistan present in the Constitutional Bench, must exercise their full authority and ensure that the accused are immediately arrested and brought to justice.
Human Rights Council of Balochistan
In a statement issued by the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) the couple’s murder was condemned.
“We are deeply disturbed by the brutal murder of a couple in the name of “honor,” as seen in a recent video circulating online,” said the statement.
“This horrifying act is not an isolated incident, it is part of a recurring pattern of honor killings across Balochistan. These crimes are enabled by the state’s persistent and deliberate inaction, where families continue to kill without fear of legal consequences.
Since 2018, HRCB has documented over 143 cases of honor killings, the majority of whom were women.
“We demand immediate and concrete accountability. The state must take urgent steps to protect those at risk and end the culture of impunity that allows such crimes to continue.
The Balochistan Evaji Alliance (EVAWG) Chairperson and the Provincial Director of Aurat Foundation Alauddin Khilji has said that the heartbreaking news has shaken everyone.
“It is shocking to see how the young couple who had married of their own free will, were brutally murdered in the name of honor, in this video,” he said. “There are armed men shooting the couple to death. The nature of this video is unbearable and inhumane.”
The Alliance Against Violence Against Women (EVAWG) also strongly condemned the act and said that this was not just an isolated incident in Balochistan, but many similar incidents were also taking place.
From 2019 to 2024, at least 212 people were killed in the name of honour: Aurat Foundation
A women rights activist S* on condition of anonmity told Voicepk, that these acts were a form of vigilantism.
“In a society where there is no concept of justice, then people start to act on their own and when they do act on their own, such steps are also taken by them,” she said. “This is partly because of a failure of the criminal justice system. Years ago when eight women were buried alive in Naseerabad, assembly member Israrullah Zehri had stood in the house and claimed that this was our ‘tribal tradition’. That session should have been boycotted and he should have been punished. But if nothing happened then, then for such people what does it matter to kill a couple more people?”
The activist said that such people used the tribal setup as a convenient cover for all such crimes.
“When you read through our provincial laws, we often see a law extending to a certain area, but “excluding tribal areas” – why? Why should these areas not be included as well?” she asks.
Meanwhile, there have been unconfirmed reports that some people have been arrested, however the government has not made any statements yet in this regard.