The trial concerning the murder of 19-year-old Sidra Arab, allegedly killed last year under the directives of a jirga, has been shifted to an anti-terrorism court following the addition of terrorism and lynching-related charges. This development marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against the accused.
During court proceedings, a revised charge sheet was submitted under the guidance of the prosecutor general, with Inspector Tariq Gondal appointed to lead the ongoing investigation. Previously, the case was under the jurisdiction of a district court, where the charge sheet had been filed and the accused formally indicted.
However, with the inclusion of Sections 7 and 11-WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the case’s trial was reassigned to the anti-terrorism court, where all future hearings will take place. The case was initially registered at the Pirwadhai police station, and authorities arrested 13 suspects, including Sidra’s father, brother, uncle, former husband, and the secretary of the cemetery where her body was buried. Although these individuals spent eight months in custody, they were later granted bail by the court.
The case originated from the alleged killing of Sidra Arab, an 18-year-old married woman, in July 2025 after a jirga rejected her choice to marry a man of her preference. Police investigations revealed that Sidra had divorced her first husband and, after completing her iddat period, married a man named Usman in Muzaffarabad. She had also recorded a statement with a judicial magistrate affirming the consensual nature of her marriage and expressing concerns for her safety.
Investigators stated that Sidra was later convinced by relatives to return to Rawalpindi under the guise of a traditional rukhsati ceremony. Subsequently, she was allegedly killed on the orders of a jirga composed of family members and former in-laws. Police allege that her body was secretly buried before dawn on July 17, 2025, at a local graveyard, with identifying markers removed to conceal the crime.
Authorities later exhumed her remains and collected crucial evidence, including CCTV footage, burial records, and the vehicle used to transport the body. The investigation expanded to include jirga members and others accused of tampering with evidence. The state took over the case under Section 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code, rendering it a non-compoundable offense that cannot be resolved through compromise.
Among those arrested were Sidra’s father, brother, uncle, former husband, and officials linked to the cemetery. In May this year, the Supreme Court reviewed an appeal by the Punjab Prosecution Department challenging the grant of post-arrest bail to several accused individuals. The prosecution argued that the suspects played a central role in the honour killing, with witness testimonies placing them at the scene, and criticized the Lahore High Court’s decision to grant bail, citing risks of witness intimidation.
The apex court issued notices to the accused and postponed further proceedings while the trial continued in lower courts. With the addition of terrorism and lynching charges, the case has now been transferred from the district court to an anti-terrorism court, where the trial will proceed.
