Senate Denounces Balochistan Honour Killing, Calls for Swift Justice

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Pakistan’s Senate unanimously condemned a brutal “honour killing” in Balochistan, where a couple was executed on a tribal jirga’s orders, demanding swift justice and legal reforms. The resolution, passed on July 24, 2025, rejects cultural justifications for such crimes and urges robust enforcement. This article examines the incident, the Senate’s response, and the urgent need for systemic change.

On July 24, 2025, the Senate of Pakistan, led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman, passed a resolution denouncing the murder of Bano Bibi and Ehsan Ullah in Balochistan’s Degari area, near Quetta, as reported by Geo.tv. The couple, killed six weeks ago for an alleged illicit relationship, was shot in broad daylight following a jirga’s ruling, a video of which sparked national outrage, per The Guardian. “This premeditated act of vigilante murder is a gross violation of human rights and Pakistan’s Constitution,” Rehman stated, emphasizing that such acts dishonor the nation, per Radio Pakistan. The Senate, with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) abstaining, called for transparent investigations and strict prosecution under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The incident, involving 14 arrests including a tribal elder, highlights the persistence of so-called honour killings, particularly targeting women, per NBC News. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti labeled the act “intolerable,” with police charging suspects under terrorism laws, per Geo.tv. Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui criticized the provincial government’s delayed response, noting the incident gained attention only after the video went viral, per Dunya News. Posts on X, like @SUNOFM894, reflect public demand for justice, calling the act “barbaric.”

The Senate urged the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) and Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) to address enforcement gaps in laws against honour crimes, recommending training for prosecutors and awareness campaigns to reject tribal norms, per The Express Tribune. These killings expose the failure of cultural practices to override constitutional protections. Pakistan must enforce its laws decisively to end such atrocities and uphold justice.