The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus today condemned in the strongest possible terms the heinous and barbaric killing of a young couple in Balochistan, who got marriaged on their own choice.

According to a National Assembly of Pakistan report, a young couple in Balochistan was publicly killed for marrying out of choice, sparking outrage and condemnation from the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC). Sheetal and Zeerak were killed. The WPC labeled the murders as barbaric and a stark illustration of the bigotry prevalent in some segments of society.

The WPC emphasized that mutual consent is the foundation of marriage in Islam, making this incident a blatant violation of religious principles, constitutional rights, and global human rights standards. The caucus stressed the detrimental impact of such acts on Pakistan”s international standing, particularly its already low ranking in gender parity indices.

Demanding immediate action, the WPC urged the Balochistan government to treat this as a test case, swiftly apprehending and prosecuting everyone involved, including the Jirga members who sanctioned the killings. The caucus also called for state protection and legal aid for the victims” families. Furthermore, they pressed for legislation to abolish the Jirga system, which often enables such atrocities.

The WPC likened the incident to the pre-Islamic era of ignorance and vowed to combat all forms of violence and injustice, echoing the mission of Benazir Bhutto. They pledged to advocate for gender equality, human rights, and women”s empowerment on all platforms, ensuring every Pakistani woman”s voice is heard.