Another woman killed for ‘honour’ on jirga’s order, this time in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: In another harrowing incident following the recent ‘honour’ killing in Balochistan, a young woman in Rawalpindi was allegedly killed for ‘honour’, reportedly on the orders of a local jirga.

According to sources, the incident occurred on July 17 in Fauji Colony within the jurisdiction the Pirwadhai police station where a 19-year-old woman identified as Sidra was allegedly strangled to death.

Sources said Sidra had come under severe pressure for marrying by choice. She initially fled to Kashmir but was later brought back and killed.

They further claimed that to cover up the crime, Sidra’s body was reportedly buried in the dead of night without informing authorities, and her grave was deliberately left unmarked.

Meanwhile, police claimed they have arrested Sidra’s paternal uncle, who allegedly ‘sanctioned’ her death as head of the local jirga. Former chairman of the local graveyard committee and a gravedigger were also taken into custody.

‘My wife eloped with another man’

Police said they registered a case on July 21 on the complaint of Sidra’s husband, Ziaur Rehman.

In the FIR, Sidra’s husband accused her of fleeing with jewellery and cash and eloping with another man named Usman.

Police seek permission to exhume her body

The police have now sought court permission for exhumation of the body to determine the cause of death and gather forensic evidence.

Responding to the police request, Magistrate Qaiser Abbas Tarrar issued notices to the victim’s family and scheduled a hearing for July 26. The court has directed authorities to locate Sidra’s grave and deploy security personnel to preserve the crime scene.

Police have stressed that the exhumation and post-mortem are essential to uncover the truth behind Sidra’s death. An investigation is underway.

Concerns over heartbreaking incidents

Pakistan has been gripped by a series of heartbreaking incidents over the past few weeks.

At times, someone is killed in the name of “honour”; at others, the beheaded body of an innocent child is discovered, or a child is tortured to death by teachers in a madrassa.

These shocking incidents have ignited renewed calls from various walks of life for taking tangible actions against the culprits.