The exhumation of bodies of a man and woman who were murdered in Degari, Quetta, in an honour killing incident has been conducted by the Authorities on Sunday.

As per the orders issued by the Judicial Magistrate Quetta to advance the investigation, the graves of both victims were opened, and forensic samples were collected from their remains. These will be used for DNA testing and identification verification through NADRA.

The exhumation process was supervised by the local magistrate, station house officer (SHO), police surgeon, and other officials.

Earlier, the Balochistan High Court took suo moto notice of the brutal killing of Bano Satakzai and Ehsanullah Smalani, a couple who had reportedly married by choice. Chief Justice summoned the Additional Chief Secretary and the Inspector General of Balochistan Police for a hearing tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Quetta police have arrested at least 20 suspects in connection with the case. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at Hanna Urak Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code, among other charges.

According to the FIR, filed by SHO Naveed Akhtar, the police were alerted after a disturbing video surfaced online showing armed men opening fire on a man and a woman at an undisclosed location.

Police investigations revealed that the incident occurred three days before Eid ul Adha in the Sanjidi Degari Margat area of Quetta. The victims, Bano Bibi and Ehsanullah, were allegedly executed on the orders of tribal elder Sardar Sherbaz Khan, who accused them of engaging in a “karokari” (honour-related) relationship.

The FIR further states that before the murder, the couple was taken to Sardar Sherbaz Khan, who allegedly issued the death sentence. The suspects then transported the victims in vehicles to the remote location, where they were shot dead on camera.

The suspects named in the FIR include Shah Wazir, Jalal, Tikri Munir, Bakhtiar, Malik Ameer, and Ajab Khan, along with Sardar Sherbaz Khan and at least 15 unidentified individuals.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had taken notice of the video and ordered immediate action. He stated that, based on preliminary reports, the incident occurred around Eid al-Adha. He added that CTD and police personnel were currently deployed in the area for further investigation.