RAWALPINDI, August 7: In a chilling turn of events, police have revealed that the head of a jirga which sanctioned the killing of a married woman has confessed to personally committing the murder. The suspect, identified as Ismatullah, admitted to killing his cousin, Sidra Arab, in what is being termed a brutal case of honour killing.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Ismatullah forcibly took Sidra from her husband’s residence in Muzaffarabad and brought her to Rawalpindi, where the jirga’s decision to kill her was executed. The incident reportedly occurred during the night between July 16 and 17.
During interrogation, Ismatullah not only confessed to the crime but also led investigators to the Pirwadhai graveyard, where he had buried the victim’s body. He also disclosed the names of accomplices involved in the murder, including Saleh Muhammad and Amani Gul.
Furthermore, Ismatullah handed over the murder weapon—a Kalashnikov rifle—to the authorities. As he failed to produce a legal license for the weapon, a separate case under the Arms Act was registered against him for illegal possession.
Police have launched a wider investigation to apprehend the remaining suspects and to determine the full scope of the jirga’s involvement. The incident has sparked renewed calls for stronger action against parallel justice systems and honour-based violence.
