RAWALPINDI – A local jirga chief, Asmat Ullah Khan, has confessed to his role in the alleged honor killing in Rawalpindi, sparking outrage and renewed calls to dismantle informal justice systems.
The case involves the murder of Sidra Arab Gul, who was reportedly killed after a jirga ruling. Police say Asmat Ullah led a group of armed men to Muzaffarabad on July 16 to bring Sidra back to Rawalpindi. He carried an unlicensed Kalashnikov rifle during the operation and entered the house of Sidra’s second husband, Usman, along with other individuals.
Investigators confirmed that Asmat Ullah threatened Usman and forcibly took Sidra away. He later confessed that her killing followed a community decision made by the jirga. Based on his information, police recovered the weapon used in the operation.
The case has shocked the public due to the involvement of a tribal-style jirga operating outside the legal system. A new FIR has been filed against Asmat Ullah under the Punjab Arms Ordinance 2015.
Sidra had married Usman in Muzaffarabad on July 12, 2025. She legally declared the marriage before a judicial magistrate and expressed fears for her safety. She claimed her family was pressuring her into another marriage and had threatened her.
Usman’s father, Muhammad Ilyas, stated in a video that Sidra had come to their home on her own. He revealed that her family later promised to take her back respectfully but instead allegedly arranged her murder. Days after returning with them, news of her death broke through media reports.
The victim’s husband Ziaur Rehman and his father are also under investigation. Both have reportedly made key confessions. Authorities continue to probe the involvement of all jirga members and accomplices.
This honor killing in Rawalpindi has sparked demands for justice and stricter enforcement of laws against such parallel justice systems.
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