September 23, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Monday granted bail to tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Khan Satakzai, who was arrested in July this year over his alleged involvement in a so-called honour based killing in Quetta district’s Degari mining area.
A single-judge bench, led by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kasi, approved the bail application after hearing arguments from both sides, ordering Satakzai’s release against surety bonds of Rs500,000.
Police had earlier arrested Satakzai on charges of endorsing, through a jirga, the killing of a woman and a man. Acting on the jirga’s decision, the woman’s brother shot dead his 40-year-old sister, Bano Bibi, in front of dozens of locals. The man, identified as Ehsanullah, was also killed at the same spot.
The crime only came to light weeks later when a video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting police to investigate. Several suspects, including Satakzai, were taken into custody.
After the brutal and disturbing video showing an honour-based killing incident in which a couple was shot dead surfaced, the Balochistan government took notice and ordered a probe. As a result, 11 suspects were arrested, including a tribal leader. The case was then handed over to the Serious Crimes Investigation Wing (SCIW).
According to the details written in the FIR, those involved in the firing included Shah Wazir Jalal, Tikri Munir, Bakhtiar, Malik Amir, Ajab Khan, Jan Muhammad, Bashir Ahmed, and 15 other unknown individuals. Before killing the man and woman, all these individuals brought them before Sardar Sherbaz Khan, who ruled that the woman and man were guilty of dishonouring the tribes, and therefore should be made to pay with their lives through ‘karo-kari’ (honour-based killing).
Speaking to Voicepk, Quetta-based rights activist Hameeda Noor said Satakzai’s bail was “legally justified since he did not directly commit the murders but was accused of approving them.”
She warned, however, that such cases often collapse during trial due to compromised witnesses and weak evidence.
“Although it is encouraging that the case is moving forward, I am not hopeful that justice will be delivered or that the accused will be held up as an example against honour killings and feudal practices,” she added.
Last month, in August, both Satakzai and Gul Bibi, the mother of the deceased Bano Bibi, had initially sought bail from the same court. The court, however, denied Satakzai’s bail while approving the mother’s bail application.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), honour killings remain a serious issue across the country, with especially high numbers reported in Sindh and Punjab, alongside cases in Balochistan and KP. Data shows that from January to November 2024, a total of 346 people fell victim to honour-related crimes. The trend has worsened in recent years. In 2023, there were 490 reported honour killing cases, while in 2022, the number was 590.
Imran Takkar, a social activist, spoke to Voicepk about the gravity of the honour-based killing issue: “Abuse and violence against women and children reflect deeply entrenched negative social attitudes. Changing this requires urgent awareness based on religious values, the country’s constitution, and existing laws. No religion, society, or legal system justifies such violence,” he said.
He stressed that the protection of women and children demanded coordinated action by all stakeholders, with strong governmental support, a focus on prevention, and a robust response system that ensures perpetrators are punished and victims receive swift justice.
“But this can only be possible if this effort becomes a national priority, backed by political will and a transparent, accountable, and effective human rights framework,” he said.