Rawalpindi, March 26, 2026) The Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday indicted eight accused, including the alleged council chairman, in the high-profile murder of a newly married woman in Berwaday, marking a major development in the case.
According to details provided by District and Sessions Judge Farhat Jabin Rana, he formally filed charges against the accused, who pleaded not guilty and chose to contest the case. The court then postponed the proceedings until April 6 and ordered the trial to be conducted on a daily basis to ensure speedy delivery of justice.
The case concerns the murder of 19-year-old Sidra, who was allegedly killed on the orders of a jirga held under the leadership of the main accused. The victim was reportedly strangled during the night between July 16 and 17 last year, and her body was later secretly buried in a cemetery in an attempt to destroy evidence. Furthermore, the grave markers were later removed to completely conceal the incident.
The case initially emerged as a missing persons incident when a complaint was filed indicating that the woman had run away from her home. However, a subsequent investigation by the Birwaday police led to the inclusion of serious charges under Sections 302, 311, 201 and 109 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, after evidence pointed to planned murder.
The police nominated several individuals in the case, including her father, brother, husband and in-laws along with other facilitators who were allegedly involved in concealing the crime.
During Thursday’s hearing, the court also granted post-arrest bail to two of the remaining defendants, the victim’s father-in-law and uncle, in exchange for surety. Bonds From Rs. 2.0 million each. Earlier, bail had already been granted to other accused.
The prosecution confirmed that the defendants acted collectively in accordance with the council’s decision, which led to the killing of the victim and burying her secretly in an attempt to avoid legal consequences.