In yet another horrifying case of honour-based violence, a young couple in a tribal region of Balochistan was brutally killed after marrying against their families’ will. According to reports, a powerful tribal jirga deemed their union an insult to traditional customs and ordered their execution.
But this was not just another silent tragedy. When Sheetal, the young woman, was brought forward to be killed, she walked calmly — holding a copy of the Holy Quran in her hands. Facing the armed men and the jirga, she said:“If my death brings you peace, then shoot me — but shoot only. I do not give you permission to defile my body.”Before her execution, the Quran was taken from her hands, yet she stood fearless — not screaming, not crying — facing death with a bravery that shook even those who held the guns.
This was not just the killing of love — it was the murder of courage, dignity, and defiance. Sheetal stood before her tribe as a symbol of resistance — a direct challenge to the centuries-old system that disguises oppression as tradition. Her silence was louder than any scream, her stand more powerful than any weapon.
Activists and rights defenders say this act exposes the ugly truth of a parallel justice system that still exists in Pakistan’s rural and tribal areas — one where honour is defined by control over women, and law is replaced by custom.
In death, Sheetal left behind a legacy — a curse upon the system that murdered her, and a question that will echo in every so-called court of honour: Who gave you the right to kill love?
