'Honour killing' probe deepens
In a significant development in the ongoing and much-debated investigation of 17-year-old Sidra Arab, who was brutally murdered for honour and buried secretly following a controversial jirga (tribal council) decision in Pirwadhai's Fauji Colony in Rawalpindi, her second husband, Usman, surrendered himself to police on Sunday.
He also handed over their marriage certificate and supporting legal documents to the police. Usman's physical remand will be sought in court today (Monday).
Official documents confirmed the couple legally married in Muzaffarabad on July 12. Prior to her death, Sidra appeared before a judicial magistrate, affirming that her marriage was consensual and stating she feared for her life. She had also sought court protection.
A video statement by Usman's father, Muhammad Ilyas, has also emerged, shedding light on the tragic case.
According to Ilyas, Sidra had approached them after facing pressure for a forced marriage by her family. Upon her request for protection, Ilyas provided financial support and accompanied the couple to court, where they solemnised the marriage and gave formal statements.
Four days after the wedding, 10 armed men of a local Jirga forcibly entered their home upon discovering Sidra's marriage to Usman. Claiming they intended only to see Sidra off respectfully, the girl's relatives convinced the family to let her go. Under the pretense of giving her a respectful farewell, they took her away. She was later murdered.
Two days later, news of her murder emerged. Fearing retribution, Ilyas voluntarily handed Usman over to the police and appealed for protection, saying the entire family was now under threat.
Probe continues
Police have seized the CCTV DVR from the graveyard committee's office, the loader rickshaw used to transport the body, burial equipment, and the cemetery's burial register.
Police have already taken gravedigger Rashid Mehmood, cemetery secretary Saifullah, and rickshaw driver Khayal Muhammad -- who allegedly transported Sidra's body, concealed in polythene bags, from her residence to the grave – into custody.
Police have also reviewed CCTV footage from the cemetery office, which shows jirga members present during the heavy rainfall on the day of burial. The footage and other evidence confirm the body was transported in a loader rickshaw. Tools used to conceal the graveshovels and digging equipment — have also been recovered.
The gravedigger testified that the burial occurred at approximately 5:30am on July 17, under the direction of Gul Badshah, a graveyard committee member. Due to heavy rainfall and a shortage of labour, preparations were delayed. Gul Badshah arrived with roughly 25 Pashtun men who assisted in digging the grave. The body, covered in a red tarp, was swiftly buried. The ground was later leveled, erasing any signs of a grave.
A burial receipt in the name of "Sidra d/o Arab Gul" was issued and handed to Gul Badshah's son. However, when officials later examined the cemetery's receipt book, record of that specific receipt number (78) was missing.
Rawalpindi City Police Officer Khalid Hamdani said that the case is now being pursued by both the police and the state, with Section 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code invokedeliminating any possibility of legal compromise or reconciliation.
Sidra's father and brother have reportedly confessed to her brutal killing. Further arrests are anticipated within the next 48 hours, including key members of the Jirga.
Body to be exhumed today
The body of Sidra is scheduled to be exhumed today (Monday) for an autopsy in the presence of Civil Judge and Magistrate Qamar Abbas Tarrar.
The police, accompanied by the magistrate, will formally identify the exact burial site with the help of the arrested gravedigger, the cemetery secretary, and the rickshaw driver.
A day earlier, a local court had ordered the exhumation of the victim's grave. According to investigators, Sidra was initially smothered with a pillow and then strangled.
A medical board comprising senior forensic experts from Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has been constituted to conduct the autopsy. The designated section of Chatti Graveyard in Pirwadhai has been sealed off and cordoned to ensure security.
According to Investigating Officer SI Shabbir Ahmed, tissue samples collected from the body will be dispatched to the Lahore Forensic Science Laboratory later today.
Jirga leader's history
The jirga was allegedly led by local PML-N leader and former Union Council Vice Chairman Ismatullah Khan, who is also a Bara Market trader. A resurfaced video shows him firing a Kalashnikov during a previous incident in Fauji Colony, further stoking public outrage. Although authorities have not yet officially arrested Ismatullah or other prominent jirga members, they are under surveillance.
Following intervention by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the entire local leadership of PML-N, including MNAs and MPAs, have distanced themselves from Ismatullah, withdrawing all support.