A jirga in a small village in Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkwa condemned six men and women to death for singing and dancing at a wedding function two months ago. The centuries-old traditions of a tribal culture, mired in its archaic, primitive ways, raises a number of questions, most of which will remain unanswered, despite the uproar and protests. The unfortunate incident is shrouded in mystery as conflicting reports emerge. Reportedly, four women along with two men were caught on a mobile phone video recording singing and dancing at a wedding in the Bando Baidar village of Peech Bela union council, in the mountains of Kohistan district. According to police reports, some clerics imposed a death sentence on the ‘revellers’. Severe censure from human rights groups prompted the police to arrest some members of the jirga, but according to a local administration official, the accused cleric and his companion denied issuing any such sentence. For allegedly filming and putting the video online, an FIR against two brothers, Bin Yasir and Gul Nazar, was filed. In a startling revelation, Afzal, brother of the makers of the video, said that five women (four accused, and the fifth allegedly an ‘accomplice’) were executed in compliance with the jirga’s order. After being kept in captivity for two months and severely tortured, they were killed by their own families. The police deny the claim, saying all five women are safe in their homes, while the accused men fled the area earlier. Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, taking suo motu notice of the death decree in Kohistan, reiterated the invalidity and illegality of jirga-issued verdicts. Calling the incident a gross violation of fundamental human rights, he ordered that the women, if alive, be brought to court on June 6. According to a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report, at least 943 women and girls were killed across Pakistan in 2011 for allegedly defaming their family’s honour. This is highly disturbing and alarming, as there seem to be no means for the eradication of inhumane practices in areas that remain outside the normal law and jurisdiction. Unless an example is set by punishing the perpetrators of such verdicts, similar crimes will continue to occur. Unless those taking the law into their own hands and treating women like disposable chattel are apprehended and punished, more women will be tortured and killed, just for wanting to breathe freely. It is time the government took a hard look at the problem and acted effectively in the legislative and practical implementation spheres. *