Two girls have been allegedly murdered in an 'honour killing' in north-west Pakistan after video footage of the teenagers went viral on social media.
The girls, aged just 16 and 18, were reportedly shot dead by relatives in a village on the border of the North and South Waziristan tribal districts.
It's believed the killings followed the widespread circulation of phone footage online, showing the teens, a third girl and a young man in a secluded outdoor area. It is not immediately clear what the group were doing in the video.
According to reports by the AFP News Agency and Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, both citing North Waziristan police officials, two men - the father of the first girl and a brother of the second girl - were arrested on Sunday (local time) in connection with the deaths.
However, an initial police report, quoted by Dawn, claims the girls were "killed in the name of honour by their paternal cousin". The report says the alleged shooting occurred around 2pm on Thursday (local time) in the Waziristan village of Shaam Plain Garyom.
A senior police officer told the newspaper that although the video appears to be almost a year-old, it had seemingly only gained traction on social media a few weeks ago. The officer said the department's top priority is now ensuring the two others in the video - the third girl and the young man - are safe.
According to Dawn's report, the two suspects are currently in police custody and will appear before a judge at an unknown date. Further investigations into the case are underway.
Violence against women and girls remains a serious social issue in Pakistan, according to numerous organisations including Human Rights Watch. Activists believe about 1000 'honour killings' - the murder of a relative perceived to have brought dishonour to the family - are performed nationwide each year.
Although women can be murdered in 'honour killings' for many reasons, the most common include having sexual relations, even if unproven, outside of marriage; refusing to enter an arranged marriage; or being the victim of rape or sexual assault. 'Honour killings' may also be carried out for reasons pertaining to 'inappropriate' dress or 'disobedient' behaviour.
