The girl's murder has sparked outrage in Pakistan.
A suspected honour killing tragically claimed the life of an 18-year-old girl in Pakistan's Kohistan region, orchestrated by her family. The incident stemmed from a viral social media video depicting the girl dancing with a few boys. The girl's companion, also seen in the video, narrowly escaped a similar fate due to timely police intervention.
The girl's family reportedly carried out the killing on the orders of a local jirga, a traditional council of elders. Another girl who appeared in the same video was also sentenced to death by the jirga but was rescued by police before the sentence could be carried out.
The girl's murder has sparked outrage in Pakistan, with many calling for an end to honour killings. Speaking to ARY News, District Police Officer (DPO) Mukhtiar Tanoli said that the police are investigating the incident and that the girl's family members have been arrested.
The boys in the video have gone into hiding due to the escalating violent situation.
The girl's body was transferred to a nearby health facility for medical-legal procedures and subsequently returned to the family.
The police said that the other girl in the video said she felt no threat to her life from her family and wanted to go with them.
"We have launched an investigation to trace those who killed the girl and who either advised or convened a jirga and sentenced her to death," a senior police official told Geo TV.
The news outlet further said that the incident comes more than 10 years after a similar chilling incident left the country shocked when five women were murdered on a jirga decree after their video clapping to a man dancing at a family event went viral in 2011.Three brothers of the man in the video, too, were killed later, while the case was highlighted by their other brother, Afzal Kohistani, in 2012, who was also shot dead in March 2019 in Abbottabad after severe threats to his life.