The Bano Bibi Murder Case: Unpacking Social Injustice of the Society.

By Laiba Zafar

Once again, the soil of Baluchistan has been stained with innocent blood. This time, the victim was Bano Bibi, a young woman whose only “crime” was choosing to marry on her own choice. Her tragic death not only shook the conscience of the nation but also laid bare the structural flaws in our legal and tribal systems. Similarly, it clearly highlights the Injustice; becoming so normal in the society.

In May 2025, in the remote mountainous region of Marwar, Bano Bibi and her husband Ehsan Ullah were abducted by armed men allegedly on orders from a local Jirga. The couple had married without their families’ consent, violating the norms of their conservative tribal society. What followed was a horrifying execution that would later cause nationwide outrage. In July 2025, a video surfaced online showing the final moments of the couple. In the video, Bano is seen holding a copy of the Holy Quran close to her chest, pleading tearfully: “Walk seven steps with me, then you may shoot me… Just shoot me. Nothing more than that.” These heartbreaking words, spoken moments before her death, sent a chill through the hearts of millions.

The video went viral on social media, leading to widespread anger, protests, and calls for justice. Hashtags like Justice For Bano and Stop Honor Killings trended across Pakistan. Human rights activists, journalists, and students demanded that the state take immediate and decisive action. In response, the Baluchistan government launched a high-profile investigation. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti labeled the murder as “painful and shameful,” and vowed to make the state a direct party to the legal proceedings. At least 14 people were arrested, including a powerful tribal figure, Sardar Sher Baz Satakzai, who allegedly chaired the so-called “honor Jirga” that ordered the execution. According to police reports, Bano was shot seven times, and Ehsan nine times, in execution-style killings. An FIR was filed, but many fear that, like so many past cases, justice may never be served.

Keeping all this information aside, this tragedy has raised many disturbing questions: Why did it take a viral video for the authorities to act? Why are tribal customs allowed to override state law? And most importantly: how long will women in Pakistan continue to pay with their lives for making choices about their own futures? The state needs to answer these questions; soon it finds the answers, will be better for the social structure of the society.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), over 400 honor killings were reported in 2024 alone. Most of them went unpunished, either due to legal loopholes, social pressure, or complicity within law enforcement. Under Pakistan’s constitution and Islamic principles, no individual or Jirga has the right to take the law into their own hands. Every citizen—regardless of gender—has the right to life, dignity, and free will. Yet in many parts of the country, especially rural and tribal areas, outdated customs still dominate legal reasoning.

The Bano Bibi case is not just about one couple. It is a reflection of a deeper, more disturbing reality—a society where tribal codes override human rights, where exercise of ordinary personal choice is criminalized, and where women’s choices are silenced with force. In the aftermath of current situations Media outlets, civil society, and legal advocates have rightly called for urgent reforms. These include: Making honor killings non-compoundable offenses (so families can’t “forgive” the killers), Disbanding illegal Jirga, ensuring witness protection, and Strengthening prosecution of tribal leaders who enable such crimes.

Silence, in the face of such brutality, is no longer neutral. Silence is complicity. If we do not raise our voices now, we become part of the problem. Justice for Bano is not just about punishing a few men. It’s about changing a mindset that allows women to be treated as property. Until then, honor will continue to be used as a justification for murder—and that is the greatest dishonor of all.

The writer is the student of the Communication and Media Studies department at Fatima Jannah Women university Rawalpindi Pakistan.