A twisted triple murder involving a top minister who allegedly held people as prisoners in an illegal private jail near his house has shocked Pakistan. On 22 February, three bodies—of two men and one woman—were recovered from a well in the Haji Kot area of Barkhan district near minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran’s residence. But a day after they were identified as the wife and sons of a local tribesman who accused the minister of murder, the police tracked down and “recovered” his family members. They were very much alive.
Meanwhile, Khetran, who is the member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, holds the post of Provincial Minister for Science and Technology and Food and Population Welfare, was arrested Thursday. The identity of those found dead is yet to be established.
The bodies were ridden with bullets and trussed up in sacks. Medical reports showed that the victims had been tortured.
Also read: Pakistani film shot in just four days is going global with awards. It’s called Gulabo Rani
Dead or alive?
When the bodies were first discovered, they were identified as Giran Naz, wife of tribesman Khan Muhammad Marri and their two sons, Mohammad Nawaz, in his 20s, and teenager, Abdul Qadir believed to be between 15-20 years old.
In a report in Dawn, Khan Muhammad alleged that in 2019 his wife and seven children had been imprisoned in Khetran’s private jail. He had claimed that they were ‘arrested’ for not testifying in a case involving Khetran and his son, Sardar Inam Khetran.
Muhammad said that a video of his wife had surfaced on a website after which his family’s bodies were found, said the Dawn report.
However, the post-mortem report revealed that the deceased female was not a woman but a teenage girl.
In an interesting turn of events, the Levies Force (parliamentary forces of Pakistan) “recovered” his wife, Giran Naz — who had been presumed dead — and their five children including a girl— all allegedly abducted by Khetran.
Also read: Pakistanis angry with Javed Akhtar for 2 things—Mumbai attacks comment, Ali Zafar after-party
The strongman minister
The triple murder case is just the latest in a string of controversies that have been associated with Khetran.
In 2014, women and children had been rescued from his ‘private jail’. Police had registered cases against Khetran, his son and eight others for kidnapping three policemen and snatching weapons from them. Seven people, including two women, three children were recovered from the private jail.
Khetran has been the Minister of Science and Information Technology since August 2018. In the past, he won from constituency PB-17 as a candidate of Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) and became Minister in Provincial Assembly of Balochistan from 2013 to 2018.
The powerful minister is now being interrogated, said Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, Inspector General of Balochistan. He added that the police had conducted raids on all suspected places for the recovery of Khan Muhammad Marri’s five children, including four sons and a daughter.
As per a viral video, the woman Girnar Naz is seen holding a copy of the Quran and urges the authorities to save their lives.
Also read: Pakistan university has a question on incest. A shocked govt puts it on priority
Jungle law reigns supreme
Former PM Imran Khan condemned the incident saying: “Strongly condemn illegal incarceration, physical abuse & killing of a poor Baloch woman & her children in Khetran, Balochistan in private jail of Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, a prov minister. Immediate action must be taken against this law of the jungle.”
Strongly condemn illegal incarceration, physical abuse & killing of a poor Baloch woman & her children in Khetran, Balochistan in private jail of Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, a prov minister. Immediate action must be taken against this law of the jungle.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 22, 2023
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan leader Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said the bloodshed is the responsibility of Balochistan Federal Government, Supreme Court and the entire state.
The Humans Rights Commission of Pakistan said it is” horrified by the discovery of three bullet-ridden bodies” and the related alleged illegal detention of Khan Muhammad Marri, urging that the serious allegations must be investigated promptly.
Senator Omar Ahmadzai called Tribal Jirga (council) after the tragic murder. The tribal chieftains and elders gave two days ultimatum to the government to accept the demands of relatives of the slain family.
Senator @PrinceOmarKalat called Tribal Jirga today after the tragic Barkhan tripple murder. The tribal chieftains and elders given 02 days ultimatum to the government to accept the demands of relatives of slain family or they will join the sit-in pic.twitter.com/jOzh6M24XN
— Saadullah Akhter (@saadiakhter) February 22, 2023
A Dawn editorial said that the incident confirms that the law of the jungle reigns supreme in the hapless province.
“One wonders how such a gruesome state of affairs can exist in a nation which claims to be ruled by the law. In large swathes of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, the law has no meaning. This is not the first time Abdul Rehman Khetran has been accused of running a private jail,” the editorial said.
“Such an illegal facility was discovered in 2014 when law enforcers raided his property in Barkhan after he reportedly tortured police officers. Unfortunately, such grotesque behaviour is the norm, and not an exception, especially in places where the feudal mindset is entrenched,” it added.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)