News Desk
Quetta – The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Monday granted bail to tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai, who was arrested in the high-profile Dagari honour killing case, where a couple was brutally shot dead on the alleged orders of a tribal jirga.
Justice Iqbal Kasi of the BHC approved the bail plea and directed the accused to deposit surety bonds of Rs500,000.
The case drew nationwide outrage after a viral social media video showed more than a dozen men gathered in a remote, mountainous desert area near Quetta. In the footage, the woman was ordered to stand facing away from the group before being shot in the back. The gunman then turned his weapon on the man, killing him instantly.
According to police surgeon Dr. Ayesha, the woman was shot seven times while the man was fired upon nine times. Investigators believe the murders were carried out on the orders of a local tribal jirga in Dagari, located on the outskirts of Quetta.
The viral video forced the Balochistan government to take swift action, registering a case under terrorism charges. Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti denounced the killings, calling the act “heinous” and a violation of human rights.
Police investigations revealed that the woman’s own family was also involved. Her brother, Jalal Satakzai, has been named a prime suspect, while another video surfaced showing the victim’s mother, Gul Jan, defending the murders as part of “Baloch tribal customs.” She claimed the tribe’s elders were not responsible for the decision.
The case has been registered under Sections 302 (murder), 149 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting while armed with deadly weapons), 147 (rioting) of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
