Baloch girl shot dead over love marriage on jirga’s orders.
A painful incident has sent shockwaves through society as a young Baloch girl, identified as Shetal, was killed on the orders of a tribal jirga, and all that for marrying by her own choice.
A gut-wrenching video that went viral online shows armed tribal men taking the girl to an isolated mountainous area. Within seconds, gunshots ring out, and Shetal hits the ground.
The sheer brutality captured on camera unleashed a wave of national fury, exposing once again the deep-rooted, patriarchal violence Baloch women continue to face in silence.
The killing, reportedly sanctioned by a jirga, a tribal council, is being labelled as an honor killing, a mediaeval punishment for defying family or tribal decisions.
In restive regions like Balochistan, Jirga orders overrule constitutional law; such acts of violence remain dangerously common.
Also read: ‘Honor Killing’: Man kills sister in front of family members in Pakistan
After the horrific killing, journalists and activists took to social media to share the clip online, claiming the girl was murdered for marrying someone of her own will.
The posts garnered online campaigns and demands for justice.
یہ بلوچستان ہے…جہاں بڑی بڑی گاڑیاں دور دراز ویرانوں میں آتی ہیں،بڑی پگڑیاں بندوقوں سے فیصلے سناتی ہیں،اور جرگے بیٹیوں کی قسمت کا اعلان آبادیوں سے دور، بیابانوں میں کرتے ہیں۔یہاں شیتل کو لایا گیا .ایک لڑکی، ایک بیٹی،محض اس لیے کہ اُس نے محبت کی،اپنی مرضی سے جینے کی خواہش… pic.twitter.com/nUzk7WT5eL
— Harmeet Singh (@HarmeetSinghPk) July 20, 2025
Some said the Balochistan government failed to protect women, while others raised questions like, How many more girls must be murdered for making their own choices before the system wakes up?
شیتل ایک معصوم لڑکی، جس نے اپنی مرضی سے جینے کا خواب دیکھا، مگر اسے “غیرت” کے نام پر بے دردی سے قتل کر دیا گیا۔
وہ بھی ان ہزاروں خواتین میں شامل ہو گئی جو ظلم، جبر اور فرسودہ روایات کا شکار بن گئیں۔ شیتل کو قتل کرنے والے درندہ صفت، بے غیرت اور جہالت میں ڈوبے ہوئے وحشی لوگ ہیں pic.twitter.com/rIkZVuNqn0— Asmar’s Photography (@asmarhussain110) July 20, 2025
This incident adds to a long list of gender-based atrocities that have plagued the southwestern region, where women’s freedoms are routinely crushed under the weight of tradition and fear.
Shetal’s case is not just about one girl. It’s about generations of Baloch women whose voices have been silenced and whose lives are treated as disposable.
Also read: Honour killing continues in Pakistan
Honour killings remain a grave issue in Pakistan, with hundreds of cases reported annually.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, over 1,000 women were victims of honor killings in 2022 alone.
The true number may be higher due to underreporting.
