Newlywed bride murdered on jirga orders in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: A 19-year-old newlywed bride was murdered by her husband on the orders of a jirga (tribal council) in Rawalpindi, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing police officials.

The incident occurred in the Pirwadhai area of Rawalpindi. The victim, Sidra Arab Gul, was allegedly killed by her husband, Ziaur Rehman, after the jirga issued a verdict against her.

In an attempt to cover up the crime, the burial was carried out secretly during the night between July 17 and 18. The grave was deliberately concealed, and all identifying markers were erased. Police have since arrested the gravedigger and the cemetery secretary involved in the illegal burial.

Sidra had married Ziaur Rehman on January 17. Authorities stated that she was killed over suspicion of having a relationship with a man named Usman. Ziaur Rehman had also filed a case against Usman at the Pirwadhai police station on July 21, alleging that Sidra had secretly married him.

Following court orders, preparations for the exhumation of Sidra’s body were completed after police formally requested permission for the exhumation through the local magistrate.

This incident follows a gruesome killing in Balochistan, where a woman named Bano and a man named Ihsanullah were murdered on July 19. On a jirga ruling they were shot dead in an open field. Shocking footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.