Rawalpindi ‘honour killing’: evidence shows victim strangled, tortured

RAWALPINDI: In a significant development in the Sidra murder case – where a woman was allegedly killed on a jirga’s orders – authorities have completed the court-ordered exhumation of her grave. Medical teams collected samples from the body during the forensic examination, which revealed evidence of violence.

Medical sources reported the victim was strangled to death, with clear signs of torture visible on her face and head. “The victim’s face had turned blue, with visible marks of violence on her head and face when the body was exhumed for postmortem,” sources revealed. A female doctor began compiling her official report after collecting all evidence.

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In parallel developments, Rawalpindi police have presented six suspects before court, including the victim’s husband, father-in-law, brother, and the jirga leader. The police sought 10-day physical remand, but the court granted only 4 days. The accused were brought to court under tight security.

The young woman was reportedly killed following a jirga decision and secretly buried in a local graveyard. She had been married to Zia-ur-Rehman, who filed an FIR on July 21, stating that his wife had left their home on July 11 with gold jewellery, Rs150,000 in cash, and personal belongings.

According to the FIR, he later discovered she had married another man, Usman, despite being legally married to him. Police believe she was murdered on July 16 and buried the next day. The police officials had said that the exhumation will be conducted under the supervision of a magistrate at 10 AM, as directed by the court.

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A medical board from Holy Family Hospital and forensic experts will collect samples during the process.

After the postmortem, Sidra’s body would be reburied at the same site.

Strict security arrangements had been made around the graveyard and protective cordon had been established to prevent any unauthorised person from getting near the site. Sources say that gravedigger Rashid and the graveyard committee secretary Saifur Rehman Khan have also been taken on remand to help locate the exact burial site of Sidra.

The suspected honour killing of a 19-year-old woman in Pirwadhai took a dramatic twist after her second husband, Usman, surrendered to police late last night.

The Nikahnama showed the couple married on July 12 in Muzaffarabad.

Police said the woman had earlier recorded a statement before a judicial magistrate, claiming she had married Usman of her own free will. She also requested court protection, stating her father was deceased, her mother had remarried, and her first husband had verbally divorced her.

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Usman, a resident of Chehla Bandi, Muzaffarabad, worked at a workshop near the Pirwadhai bus stand. His father, Muhammad Ilyas, released a video statement confirming the couple’s marriage and revealing the family had arranged Rs30,000–Rs40,000 to help the woman seek legal protection.

“I arranged the money, took her to court for protection, and helped them get married lawfully,” Ilyas said. “But just four days later, armed men stormed our house and threatened us. Fearing for our lives, we handed her back to her relatives.”

Two days later, the family was informed that she had been murdered.

Fearing his son would be wrongfully implicated, Ilyas voluntarily brought Usman to the police. He also appealed to authorities to ensure the family’s safety amid ongoing threats.

Meanwhile, a Rawalpindi court had earlier approved a three-day physical remand of two suspects arrested on July 23 in connection with the murder. Police said the suspects were accused of facilitating the crime.