By Barrister Usman Ali, Ph.D.
Tragic Balochistan , a place where violence has become a daily norm, suffering wave after wave of terrorism in different forms. In June 2025, it fell victim once again to the terrorism of so-called honour and false pride. A young couple was brutally murdered, shot dead in cold blood. According to viral videos and news reports, this couple, who had married by choice, was taken into the mountains by over twenty armed men and mercilessly killed. It wasn’t just a shooting , the entire act was filmed, as if to declare to the world that in this land, love is punishable by death. This was not an accident; it was a premeditated act of collective brutality, cloaked in tribal approval and a manufactured sense of “honour.”
What was the couple’s crime?
Only that they rejected coercion and tradition to marry by their own will. There was no legal complaint, no religious grievance, no social justification , just guns, toxic customs, and collective silence. The girl held the Qur’an in her hands. Her voice was more full of conviction than fear when she said:
“Walk seven steps with me, then shoot me.”
These words slap a society that teaches caution to those intending to marry, yet glorifies murderers as men of honour.
This wasn’t just the loss of two lives , it was the murder of love, autonomy, constitutional rights, and the true spirit of religion. Honour, which is meant to be tied to modesty and decency, has here been replaced with savagery and barbarism.
Islam , often misused to justify such atrocities , completely disowns this brutality. The Qur’an clearly states:
“Whoever kills an innocent person, it is as if he has killed all of humanity.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:32)
The Prophet ﷺ made a woman’s consent a condition for marriage, declared tribal honour killings an act of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), and granted daughters the right to live. Those who commit these crimes in the name of religion are neither pious nor honourable , they are simply defending their ignorance and cowardice.
Pakistan did pass a law against honour killings in 2016, but enforcement remains crushed under the boots of the powerful. In regions like Balochistan, the state exists only on paper. The police are powerless, courts are silent, and tribal councils declare lawlessness as tradition. Guns, image, and influence rule everything , and a woman’s autonomy becomes the gravest offense.
How long will we express grief only when videos go viral , and then return to silence? How long will we question the victims’ character while treating the killers as dignified men? How long will we accept savagery disguised as religion? How long will those holding the Qur’an be seen as helpless, while those firing bullets are seen as dominant?
If the state is serious, it must not stop at a token arrest. The viral video must be treated as undeniable evidence, all involved should be arrested under anti-terrorism laws, tried in fast-track courts, and given exemplary punishment. Such tribal councils must be outright banned. Competent, principled, and empowered law enforcement officers must be deployed who won’t bow to influential locals.
Religious scholars must go beyond mere condemnations. In their sermons, they should call out this crime as a grave sin and a source of societal unrest. Educational institutions must teach what true honour means and that killing in its name is nothing but cowardice. The media must not just report, but launch sustained awareness and dialogue campaigns to reform society.
And what about us?
When will we wake up?
Will we remain silent even when another girl, holding the Qur’an, begs for her life tomorrow? Will we simply post a comment on social media and scroll on? Or are we finally ready to accept that a woman’s autonomy is not against honour , it is honour?
The couple murdered in the mountains has been buried. But their questions, their screams, and the prayers lingering in their eyes still live on. Until we face these questions, this crime will repeat. And if we stay silent once again, then we are all guilty , even if we don’t hold the gun, our silence will surely be soaked in blood.
