Police registered a criminal case against 11 accused under Sections 147, 148 and 354A of the Pakistan Penal Code. PHOTO: FILE
Two women were allegedly disrobed and pelted with stones in public over a property dispute in a remote village of Rehana union council of the district, police said on Thursday.
Police quoted 16-year-old Shahana Bibi* of Choee Siribang village as saying that they have a dispute with their relatives Muhammad Aslam and Muhammad Ashraf, sons of Ghulam Muhammad, over a piece of land and the case was pending in court. She added on June 9 they rented a thresher for their wheat crop which had to pass through the disputed territory to reach their agricultural fields.
Shahana said this infuriated their opponents who started pelting stones at her and her sister-in-law Ruksana Bibi*, 34. She claimed Ashraf, Aslam, another relative Mehboob, five women and four teenage sons of the accused first beat them up and then tore their clothes with a sickle.
“They dragged our naked bodies on the ground, kicking and punching us. They have destroyed our lives after exposing us in front of the villagers,” Shahana told reporters with tears welling up her eyes.
“I feel totally humiliated, like my life is worth nothing now that I have lost my honour,” echoed Ruksana, adding she heard about such incidents in other countries, but after having experienced such a traumatic incident herself, she had lost all faith in the law.
She demanded exemplary punishment for the accused. The victims told the police that villagers came to their rescue after hearing their cries and took them home. Police registered a criminal case against 11 accused under Sections 147, 148 and 354A of the Pakistan Penal Code and arrested them on Tuesday. The area magistrate then gave them in physical remand to the police for a day after which they were again produced in court on Thursday and sent to Haripur Jail on judicial remand.
(Names changed to protect the identity of victims)
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ