BHC grants bail to tribal leader in Degari honour killing case

(Web Desk): The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Monday ordered the release of tribal leader Sardar Sher Baz Khan Satakzai on bail. He had been arrested earlier this year in July in connection with the so-called "honour killing" of a man and a woman in Degari, a district of Quetta.

A single bench headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kakar heard arguments from both sides and granted bail to Sardar Sher Baz Satakzai, ordering his release upon submission of surety bonds worth Rs500,000. Following the approval of his bail application, he was released.

Earlier, police had alleged that Sardar Sher Baz Satakzai, in his capacity as a tribal elder, had endorsed the killings through a jirga (tribal council). Acting on the jirga’s decision, the woman’s brother shot and killed his 40-year-old sister, Bano Bibi, in front of a large crowd. Ehsanullah, a man associated with her, was also killed on the spot.

The case came to light when a video of the killings surfaced on social media, going viral nearly a month after the incident. The police launched an investigation and made several arrests, including that of Sardar Sher Baz Satakzai.

So far, 17 individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including Bano Bibi’s mother and another brother. The mother has since been released on bail, but the main accused—the brother who actually shot his sister—remains at large.