Islamabad, July 21: The two victims “were not married to each other”, contrary to online speculation said Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti at a press conference in Quetta.
Speaking at the conference, he confirmed that both individuals were already married and had children; the slain woman was a mother of five, and the man had six children.
Balochistan police has arrested 11 suspects, including Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai the tribal leader, for their alleged involvement in the killing of a man and a woman in Balochistan.
Bugti emphasized that the gruesome killing is unacceptable and vowed that all those responsible would be arrested and brought to justice. “Neither society nor the government can tolerate such brutality. No leniency will be shown to the perpetrators,” he said.
He also disclosed that the incident had gone viral after the killers themselves uploaded the video, not external sources. “The killers inadvertently helped the investigation by posting the footage themselves,” he remarked, adding that the government is carrying out a thorough probe and the accused will soon be produced in court.
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Highlighting a troubling aspect of the case, Bugti noted that no one has come forward to file a First Information Report (FIR), not even the victims’ families. “Whenever police visit the area to investigate, the men disappear, and women respond by throwing stones at officers,” he revealed.
The Chief Minister said that the local DSP from the Special Branch has been suspended for failing to report the incident in time. He criticized the circulation of unverified information on social media and urged the public to seek the truth before sharing news.
Bugti acknowledged the ongoing influence of tribal ‘Jirga’ systems in parts of Balochistan, saying the government is taking constitutional steps to dismantle such parallel systems of justice.
Addressing a separate issue, the Chief Minister also discussed recent counterterrorism operations in the province. He said that security forces killed 10 terrorists in an operation yesterday, underscoring that militants tend to seek soft targets but are being actively countered. He reassured the public that law and order is improving, and reiterated the government’s commitment to defeating terrorism and restoring peace in Balochistan.
