‘Honour’ killing: Poisoning victim declares in-laws innocent

Her father confessed to the crime, saying he did it to save his honour and had no regrets

SUKKUR: Tahira Jafery, who eloped with Kamran Larik of Hingorja and was later poisoned along with her husband for their free-will marriage, has recorded her statement before a judge, declaring her in-laws innocent.

She opted to leave the court with her in-laws saying her life was being threatened by her father and uncles.

On Monday, after her discharge from Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana, Jafery was produced in the court of the second civil judge and judicial magistrate Gambat to record her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.



According to the police, in her statement, Jafery declared her in-laws innocent and accused her father and uncles of poisoning her and Larik at gunpoint. Larik later passed away at a hospital.

She recalled that she and her husband ran away on August 6 and were married in the Shaheed Benazirabad court on August 8, after which they moved to Jamshoro and lived with Larik’s friend.

While they were in Jamshoro, Larik’s brother, Imran, sent him an SMS claiming that the family was being pressured by Jafery’s father, asking the couple to return home and get married properly, she recalled.

The couple returned to Hingorja and went to meet Jafery’s parents along with Larik’s brother and parents, Ghulam Rasool Larik and Rukhsana.

“As soon as we reached my parent’s house, my father Ahsan and uncles Shamshad, Tehseen and Murad Shah overpowered Ghulam Rasool and Imran and tied them up,” she told the court. After that, my uncle Shamshad forced me and Kamran to drink poisonous liquid at gunpoint and as a result we both fell unconscious, she added. Larik died on August 18, whereas Jafery was admitted to a hospital.



Someone from the area had informed the police about the incident, who reached the scene and had arrested five suspects, including the woman’s father, Ahsan, her uncles, Tehseen and Shamshad, Larik’s father, Ghulam Rasool, and elder brother Imran.

Jafery said that her in-laws are innocent of any crime and should be released. She thus opted to go with her in-laws.

After recording her statement, the court ordered the police to hand over Jafery to her in-laws and provide them protection.

Ahsan confessed to the crime, saying he did it to save his honour and had no regrets. The head constable at Hingorja police station, Ghulam Nabi Bhambro, said they have not received a copy of the court order yet and once they receive it they will act accordingly. According to the Hingorja SHO, Ghulam Qadir Jatoi, Jafery has not been informed about the death of her husband, as per the advice of her doctors.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2016.