RAWALPINDI — In a major legal development, the Rawalpindi police have incorporated Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) into the murder case of Sidra Bibi, who was brutally killed in November 2024 following a tribal assembly (Jirga) decree. With the addition of terrorism charges, approved formally by the District Prosecution and Legal Branch, the high-profile honor killing case has been transferred from the Session Court to the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), where Judge Amjad Ali Shah will now preside over the legal proceedings. Consequently, the previous police investigation has been legally annulled, and authorities are preparing to launch a fresh probe followed by a new comprehensive challan submission.
Following the invocation of the anti-terrorism law, the prosecution has decided to seek the cancellation of bail for all primary and secondary suspects to secure their re-arrest. The re-arrest order targets the head of the local assembly and former Union Council Vice Chairman, Asmatullah, along with the victim’s father, brother, father-in-law, and uncle. Furthermore, police intend to re-detain supporting individuals linked to the cover-up, including the cemetery gravedigger, the local secretary, and the driver who transported the body. Fearing swift detention and the renewed investigation, all accused individuals have reportedly gone into hiding to evade law enforcement agencies.
The case dates back to November 2024, when Sidra Bibi was murdered for choosing a love marriage and allegedly re-marrying after a divorce. According to police records, a local traditional council convened to condemn her actions and ordered her execution. The perpetrators carried out the murder with extreme brutality, subsequently binding the victim’s body inside a large plastic bag before concealing it inside a trench at a local graveyard. The crime was uncovered later when law enforcement discovered the hidden remains, leading to the initial arrest of the suspects, who subsequently confessed to their crimes during initial police interrogations.
