Terrorism charges added in Sidra case

A major development has taken place in the honour killing case of 17-year-old Sidra Bibi, who was allegedly murdered on the orders of a jirga after contracting a second marriage following her divorce.

Eleven months and four days after the registration of the case, Pirwadhai police have added charges under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, Section 11-WW, desecration of the body, illegal burial, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Police have also decided to reopen the investigation, seek cancellation of the bail granted to all 18 accused and arrest them again.

Former Union Council vice chairman and PML-N city leader Ismatullah Khan, who allegedly headed the jirga and ordered the killing, remains the principal accused.

The District Prosecution Branch has approved the addition of terrorism, desecration of the body, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence charges. The case will now be transferred from the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi for trial next week. Applications seeking cancellation of the accused's bail, their re-arrest and submission of a fresh challan will also be filed.

Police expect all the accused to be arrested next week. Following the inclusion of terrorism charges, the accused have reportedly gone into hiding.

Rawalpindi police have now become the complainant in the case, and all close family members of the deceased have been included among the accused.

According to the investigation, before the murder, the victim's father had registered a case against Sidra Bibi for eloping, marrying Mohammad Usman and allegedly stealing cash and jewellery.

She was later brought home from Muzaffarabad on the assurance that she would be formally sent off after her marriage, but the same night, a jirga was convened, which allegedly ordered her killing. Police say she was strangled by her father, mother, brother, first husband and sisters, while her body was buried without funeral prayers in a large shopping bag during heavy rain after allegedly colluding with graveyard officials.

Witnesses told police that Sidra's first husband had divorced her but refused to provide written divorce papers, saying he would not allow her to remarry. After informing her parents about the divorce and alleged abuse, she was reportedly told not to return home.

She later married Mohammad Usman of her locality, after which the incident occurred.

The investigating officer said the case has been reopened following the addition of terrorism and other major charges.

Fresh statements will be recorded from all accused before a new challan is submitted. The case file has already been retrieved from the trial court.