QUETTA – July 20, 2025:
A horrifying incident from Balochistan has triggered nationwide outrage, as a young Baloch girl named Shetal was brutally executed on the orders of a tribal jirga — all for the “crime” of marrying someone by her own choice.
A gut-wrenching video, now viral on social media, shows armed tribal men escorting Shetal to an isolated mountainous area. Seconds later, gunshots ring out and she collapses. The sheer brutality of the act — filmed and circulated online — has shocked the conscience of the nation.
The murder is being labeled an honor killing, a term used to justify violent, patriarchal punishments imposed on women who defy tribal or familial control. In regions like Balochistan, where tribal councils (jirgas) often exert more power than the state, such extrajudicial killings remain disturbingly common.
Following the incident, journalists and human rights activists shared the footage on social media, asserting that Shetal’s only “crime” was choosing her own partner. The video has sparked online campaigns, protests, and renewed calls for justice.
Critics are pointing fingers at the provincial government for its repeated failure to protect women and enforce constitutional law. Despite laws banning jirgas and so-called honor killings, enforcement remains weak, and the culture of impunity persists.
This tragedy is not just about Shetal.
