The Balochistan High Court on Monday granted bail to tribal leader Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai, a key suspect in the Degari honour killing case involving the brutal murder of a couple allegedly on the orders of a local Jirga.
Justice Iqbal Kasi approved the bail application and directed Satakzai to furnish surety bonds worth Rs500,000. His plea had earlier been rejected by a lower court.
The case drew national outrage after a video surfaced on social media showing a man and a woman being shot multiple times in a desert area near Degari, on the outskirts of Quetta. The footage showed over a dozen men present with SUVs and pickup trucks as the killings took place.
According to police surgeon Dr. Ayesha, the woman sustained seven bullet wounds while the man was shot nine times. Police say the killings were ordered by a tribal Jirga.
Following the video’s circulation, the Balochistan government registered a case under terrorism charges. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident as “heinous.”
Investigations also revealed the involvement of the victims’ family. The woman’s brother, Jalal Satakzai, was named a prime suspect, while her mother, Gul Jan, appeared in a separate video defending the murders as part of “Baloch tribal customs,” insisting no unlawful act was committed by the elders.