Jirga head in Sidra murder case secures bail

Court says accused only allegedly issued order, no recovery made from him

RAWALPINDI:

Additional District and Sessions Judge Nadia Ikram Malik has granted bail to the main accused, jirga head Ismat Khan, former vice chairman of a union council, in the high-profile Sidra Bibi murder case registered at Pirwadhai Police Station.

The court ordered the accused to submit two surety bonds worth Rs2 million each. The case was registered in July 2024.

Seventeen-year-old Sidra Bibi, who had contracted a love marriage, was allegedly strangled to death on the orders of a community jirga. According to police, her father, brothers, former husband, mother, sisters, uncle, father-in-law and brother-in-law killed her by strangling her and buried her body secretly. Police later traced the blind murder, arrested all 17 accused, recovered the body, and confirmed strangulation in the post-mortem report. The alleged murder weapon and the Qingqi rickshaw used to transport the body to the graveyard were also recovered.

Charges have been framed against all 17 accused, including the father, brothers, father-in-law and husband, and witnesses have been summoned for testimony. Allegations have also been raised that Ismatullah Khan is an Afghan national, upon which NADRA has initiated verification of his nationality status.