An eleven-year-old girl from rural Pakistan was stoned to death, to the point which her head and face were left unrecognizable, by her family and tribe elders after it had been decided that she was planning to elope outside of her family’s wishes.
The girl, Gul Sama, who lived in the village of Shahi Makan–in Pakistan’s Sindh province–was executed on November 21.
Activists and residents who were outraged at the killing were threatened with death by the tribal council–or ‘jirga’–if they spoke out against the decision or killing.
Social media posts of the young girl’s grave went viral, drawing international attention to the girl’s death.
Local police have launched an investigation, arresting the girl’s parents and the cleric who delivered the girls secret funeral.
Two other people have been arrested in connection with the killing, according to Gulf News.
Villagers claimed that her face and head were unrecognizable following her killing.
Gulf News reports:
According to police, the incident happened on November 21 in the Kirthar mountain range of Sindh’s Dadu district, which borders the Balochistan province.
Following information that a girl had been stoned to death, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dadu Dr Farrukh Raza directed police to take immediate action.
“We are further verifying facts but we have arrested the deceased girl’s parents and an Imam who had led the funeral prayer, as well as another man who had facilitated her burial,” said SSP Raza.
Quoting the girl’s parents, the SSP said that the girl had died “accidentally due to land sliding on the mountain”, reported The News.
After the discovery of the body, a further investigation will be launched to ascertain all those party to the girl’s killing.
An autopsy will be conducted following her exhumation.
