Adultery case settlement: CJP takes notice of illegal jirga in Jacobabad

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar orders Larkana DIG to submit report of incident

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken suo motu notice of an illegal Jirga ruling that ordered a labourer in Sindh’s Jacobabad district to either pay a fine of Rs1.3 million for committing adultery or hand over his two young daughters in marriage to settle the case.

The CJP has also called for a report of the incident by Larkana district’s deputy inspector general (DIG) of police. A newspaper on Feb 2 reported that a jirga of notables was held last month to adjudicate a case of alleged adultery at Zubair Khan Khoso Goth in Thul tehsil of Jacobabad.

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After declaring Hashim Khoso, a dirt poor labourer,  ‘Kari’  or adulterer, the jirga asked him to pay a fine of Rs1.3 million. Upon his failure to do so, the jirga ordered the labourer to give his two daughters Fahmida, 9, and Sughra, 4, in ‘Vani’ [compensation].

Later, Khoso protested outside the Jacobabad Press Club against the decision and appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan and other high state functionaries to provide him justice and to protect his family.

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According to reports, police have already arrested three men – including a landlord – for holding the jirga.

The landlord, Abdul Ghaffar Khoso, allegedly proposed idea of ‘compensation’ while two other men seconded him. Police have also filed cases against those present at the jirga.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2017.