In 2012, a wedding video emerged from a village in Kohistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, showing men and women dancing and singing. After the video was leaked, a local jirga decreed the participants of violating tribal customs and sentenced them to death. Five women were killed by the male members of their tribe. A year later, the three brothers, seen in the video, were also shot dead.
Afzal Kohistani, the surviving brother, raised the issue and brought the so-called honour killings to the media's attention. For years thereafter, he campaigned for justice, until the Supreme Court took a suo moto notice of the killings in 2016. Eight men were arrested in connection to the crime.
In May, Kohistani, the whistleblower, was also gunned down. He had repeatedly raised concerns about his life being in danger. After Thursday's verdict, Kohistani's brother, Bin Yasir, told a private TV channel that he is satisfied with the court's order. "It took so long, but finally we have some kind of justice," he said.