Kohistan, November 27, 2023 : A young girl in Kohistan was reportedly killed by her family following the viral spread of a video featuring her with other boys on social media in the Kolai-Palas district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Details reveal that the girl was murdered the day before in Barsharyal village of Kohistan’s Palas district by her family, reportedly following orders from a local jirga, a claim that officials have denied.
In an exclusive interview , District Police Officer (DPO) Mukhtiar Tanoli stated that a video and separate pictures of two girls, along with boys who are said to have gone into hiding, became viral on social media on November 22.
On November 24, DPO Mukhtiar Tanoli stated that one of the two girls was murdered by her father and uncle following the orders of a local jirga.
Fortunately, the police successfully rescued the second girl and presented her before a local magistrate for a statement. The girl expressed that she did not perceive any threat to her life from her family and preferred to stay with them instead of being relocated to Dar-ul-Aman, as stated by the DPO.
The district police officer asserted that the viral pictures were “clearly edited.”
The girl’s body was transported to a nearby health facility for medico-legal procedures and subsequently returned to the family.
Simultaneously, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Palas police station filed a First Information Report (FIR) for the murder under sections 302/311 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The DPO added that one suspect has been apprehended, and efforts are underway to arrest others. He clarified that the family members were responsible for the girl’s death, and no orders were issued by a local jirga.
On the flip side, KP Chief Minister Arshad Hussain Shah has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the provincial inspector-general to promptly apprehend those responsible.
The chief minister has also instructed the Additional Home Secretary to initiate an inquiry into the incident and submit a comprehensive report. Additionally, he has mandated authorities to implement measures ensuring the protection of the second girl.
This incident recalls a tragic episode that shook the nation in 2011 when five women were murdered on the decree of a jirga after a video of them clapping to a man dancing at a family event went viral. Subsequently, three brothers of the man in the video were also killed. The case gained attention through their brother Afzal Kohistani in 2012, who was tragically shot dead in March 2019 in Abbottabad.
