Stoned to death: Corpses of couple to be exhumed for autopsy

Local official says couple was killed on Valentine’s Day February 14, on condition of anonymity.

QUETTA:

A team led by Judicial Magistrate Asmatullah Khan will exhume the corpses of the couple who had been allegedly stoned to death in Loralai district, about 215 kilometres north of Quetta.

The couple was killed on Valentine’s Day February 14, a local official said on the condition of anonymity. “The couple was killed in the name of so-called honour because they were in a relationship and wanted to marry,” he added.

Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti took notice of the killings and ordered an inquiry into the twin killings in order to bring the responsible to justice.

Deputy Commissioner Loralai Abdul Wahid said he is not sure whether the couple was stoned to death until the postmortems are conducted.

Local people said that the funeral prayers were not offered before they were buried separately. Balochistan Levies personnel arrested six suspects, including the father and brother of the slain woman. The local cleric who allegedly issued the fatwa, had fled.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2014.