A court in Quetta has ordered the exhumation of a woman’s body after she was brutally murdered alongside her husband in an apparent case of ‘honour’ killing. The killing took place in Dagari, on the outskirts of Quetta, and gained national attention after a disturbing video of the incident went viral. In the video, tribal men are seen dragging the couple from a vehicle before shooting them at close range in a desert area. Following public outrage, Balochistan Chief Minister Bugti confirmed that a terrorism case had been registered and 11 suspects were already in custody. He assured the public that the operation would continue until all those involved were arrested. On Monday, two more suspects, including the prime accused Sardar Sherbaz Khan, were arrested. He was later handed over to the Serious Crime Investigation Wing on a one-day physical remand. The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged by the state at Hanna-Urak Police Station under murder and anti-terrorism laws. These include Sections 302, 147, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Interestingly, neither of the victim families reported the crime, which prompted the state to act as the complainant in the case. Authorities believe the silence points to tribal pressure or fear. In a separate development, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) Chief Justice took suo motu notice and summoned the province’s Additional Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police. Meanwhile, police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) teams remain active in the area, collecting evidence and identifying suspects. The spokesperson stated that the Nadra database and excise department were being used to match faces and track down vehicles involved. Sadly, this case is part of a much larger issue in Pakistan. According to a 2024 report by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), over 547 cases of honour killings were reported last year. Alarmingly, the conviction rate remains below 2%. With 346 such murders reported from January to November alone, activists say the justice system must do more to protect women and punish those who kill in the name of so-called honour.