North Waziristan Police have arrested two suspects involved in the murder of two young girls who were murdered in the name of ‘honour’ following their video on the internet.
They are said to have been shot dead by a family member earlier this week in a village on the border of the North and South Waziristan tribal districts. The killing occurred after a short mobile video of them with a young man surfaced on social media, police said.
According to the FIR of the incident filed at Razmak police station, the incident had taken place on May 14 around 2pm at Shaam Plain Garyom, a border village of North and South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“A confirmed report was received that two girls aged 16 and 18 were killed in the name of honour by their paternal cousin, whose name and address is not known, in Shaam Plain Garyom,” the FIR had said.
It had added that the reason behind the killings was believed to be a video that showed a young man recording himself with three young girls in a secluded area outdoors.
According to a report, the suspects are related to the victims; one is the father of the first girl while the other is the brother of the second girl, he said, adding that the culprits have been shifted to Razmak police station.
“Initial investigations show that the suspects opened fire on the victims over the video scandal,” the official said. Further investigations are under way,” it added.
According to the official, both the suspects told police that the victims were killed and buried in their native village.
HRCP CONDEMNS MURDERS:
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemns the cold-blooded murder of two teenage girls in a Waziristan village—allegedly an ‘honour’ crime carried out by a family member after a mobile video of the victims surfaced on social media.
Despite the passage of the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences in the Name or Pretext of Honour) Act 2016, there is little evidence to suggest that the incidence and acceptance of ‘honour’ crimes has abated. Antiquated—and lethal—notions that ‘honour’ resides in women’s bodies and actions still prevail across Pakistan, and it will take far more than laws to effect a change when perpetrators of ‘honour’ crimes continue to act with impunity. The patriarchy that upholds casual sexism is the same patriarchy that is used to justify, endorse and perpetrate ‘honour’ killings. Neither is acceptable.
HRCP also notes with great concern that many people who have spoken up against the Waziristan murders on social media platforms have been threatened or ridiculed. The state must make it clear to all that it will not tolerate any support for this heinous practice.
The local administration must take all possible steps to ensure the security of the third girl and the man in the video, and to bring the perpetrator to justice. The state must also demonstrate its commitment to protecting human rights in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas by taking concrete steps to ensure that human security is put before considerations of ‘national’ security.
