MIRAMSHAH: The police arrested the suspected killer of two teenage girls here on Wednesday.

The girls were gunned down on May 14 in Shamplan Garyam village of North Waziristan tribal district after their ‘objectionable’ video footage went viral on social media.

North Waziristan district police officer Shafiullah Gandapur said suspected killer Mohammad Aslam, who was a cousin of the two girls, was held during a raid in an unidentified location.

The suspected killer had gone into hiding following the honour killings.

Earlier in the day, a central character of the incident, Umer Ayaz, confessed before a local court that he had recorded the video.

He was taken to the court by the police amid tight security.

DPO Gandapur told reporters that suspect Umer Ayaz told the court that he used the mobile phone of his friend, Fida Wazir, who had already been held by the police.

He said Umer Ayaz, 28, was married and had two children.

The DPO said the police investigation were heading in the right direction and would ensure dispensation of justice.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Sanaullah Abbasi announced cash reward and commendation certificates for police officials over arrests in the honour killing case.

He said the newly-merged police would serve the people, ensure dispensation of justice to them, and would fight for the rights of women.

The police have arrested four suspects in the case, including Umer Ayaz, Fida Mohammad, father of one of the girls, Zadwal Khan, and the girl’s cousin, Roohuddin.

The police claimed that the family of the deceased had kept the killings a secret, so the relevant station house officer registered the FIR as the complainant.

The girls’ family had migrated from South Waziristan region due to Rah-i-Nijat military operation against militants and settled in Shamplan Garyam village of the North Waziristan region, where the honour killings were reported on May 14.

The Razmak police station registered the FIR next day.

Initially, the FIR included Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code but later, Pakistan Penal Code’s Section 311 dealing with Fasad Fil Ard (mischief on earth) and Section 201 (causing of the disappearance of evidence) and Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act’s Section 19 (unauthorised interception of a transmission) were included in it.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2020