To the slammer: Five suspects in honour killing denied bail

Saba Gul, Muhammad Ismail were allegedly murdered by woman’s family.

PESHAWAR: An additional and sessions judge in Peshawar dismissed the bail application of five people in an honour killing case. The suspects were sent to jail.

Additional and sessions judge Hayat Gul Mohmand was hearing bail applications filed by Manzoor, Shabana, Zahoor Ayaz and Israr, parents and uncles of slain Saba Gul. The woman and her husband Muhammad Ismail were allegedly murdered by the suspects and others.

The judge believed the couple was murdered for choosing life partners of their own volition.

In his order, the Judge Mohmand said a nikahnama of the couple was available on file and Saba was returned to her parents after elders’ assurance that a proper rukhsati was to be arranged.

After hearing arguments and going through the record, the judge ruled that petitioners were not entitled to bail and their applications were rejected.

They were charged for killing Saba Gul and her husband Muhammad Ismail who married in court.

A public prosecutor, along with a counsel representing Abdul Mat Khan, argued that the murdered man married Saba Gul on June 18, 2016.

They said that after the intervention of elders, they handed over Saba to her parents.

The lawyers claimed that on June 30, 2016, relatives of Saba murdered Ismail. Manzoor, his brothers Adnan, Zahoor, Israr, Zahir, Shahid, Javed, Ayaz and other relatives Israruddin and Shabana were charged with the crime.

They stated Saba’s body was later found and the firearm used in the offence was purchased by her relatives.

The attorneys said the suspects were charged in the FIR.

They said the offence was of a heinous nature and can be termed an honour killing. They said Saba was murdered in the house of her uncle Tahir as was evident from Shabana’s statement which was recorded on July 6, 2016. A murder case was registered at Badabher police station in Peshawar.

After the court marriage, a kidnapping case was registered by relatives of Saba. After the woman’s whereabouts were discovered, elders of Saba’s family got involved in the settlement.

A jirga comprising of her uncles and parents assured Ismail and his parents of a proper rukhsati if the bride returned home. However, the couple was later murdered.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2016.