The Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court has taken suo motu notice of the brutal murder of a couple, Sheetal and Zarak, in the Margat area near Quetta. In response, he has summoned the Additional Chief Secretary (Interior) and Inspector General (IG) of Police Balochistan to appear in court on Tuesday.
The action comes after a disturbing video surfaced on social media showing the couple being shot and killed by armed men, reportedly for marrying by choice. The footage sparked outrage nationwide, drawing strong condemnation from the public and rights activists.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Quetta’s Judicial Magistrate Akhtar Shah has ordered the exhumation of Bano Satakzai’s grave—one of the victims—and personally oversaw the process in Degari. The incident is believed to have occurred around Eid al-Adha and is being treated as an ‘honour killing’.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, upon viewing the viral video, directed authorities to register a case under anti-terrorism laws. Following his instructions, a joint operation by the Levies and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) led to the arrest of a key suspect.
Officials confirmed that the provincial government filed the case itself, as neither the families of the victims nor the local community approached authorities to complain. Sources say the victims, Ehsan Zarak and Sheetal Bano Satakzai, had married without family approval. Local tribal elders allegedly declared a death sentence, which was later carried out by armed men.
