'Walk seven steps, then shoot me': Baloch woman’s final words echo across Pakistan in chilling honour killing video

A disturbing video circulating on social media has reignited debate around the practice of “honour” killings in Pakistan, showing the brutal execution of a young couple from Balochistan who allegedly married against their families’ wishes. The footage, filmed in broad daylight on the outskirts of Quetta, the provincial capital, has triggered nationwide and international condemnation.

The couple, identified as Bano Bibi and Ahsan Ullah, are seen in the video being brought to a deserted hilly area in a convoy of SUVs and pickup trucks. A group of men, many of whom appear to be onlookers or members of a local tribe, watch as the woman, her head draped in a shawl, is handed a copy of the Quran.

“Walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me,” Bano says to one of the men in the local Brahavi dialect, as she begins walking ahead, the holy book in her hands. The man follows her silently. Then, she says, “You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that.” The chilling moment that follows shows the man taking out a pistol and firing several shots at her from close range. On the third shot, Bano collapses, motionless.

The video continues with the sound of more gunfire. A bloodied man, identified as her husband Ahsan Ullah, is then seen lying next to her as the crowd around them erupts in celebration -- an apparent endorsement of the killing.