The prime minister had promised to eliminate private militia gangs
KARACHI: The Citizens Against Weapons (CAW), a civil society group working for the de-weaponisation of the country, condemns in strongest words the brutal murder of Tania Khaskheli, an innocent 19-year-old girl from the village of Jhangra in Sindh. She was gunned down by a wealthy suitor in broad daylight, in front of her parents for refusing to marry him.
It is a matter of grave concern and great regret that the suitor, also a landlord, operates a private militia and owns a private arsenal of weapons — a fact well known to the local residents and the police.
The CAW considers the barbaric murder of Tania Khaskheli as not an isolated tragic incident but one among many where the state’s indirect involvement cannot be denied. Despite the fact that the Article 256 of the Constitution of Pakistan explicitly prohibits all private militias, hundreds of private armed gangs are proudly operated by waderas and the goons of this country.
The prime minister had promised to eliminate private militia gangs, but nothing has been done so far. It may, therefore, be fair to assume that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is directly responsible for the murder of Tania Khaskheli. The state is responsible for allowing hundreds of influential people to operate private militias. The state is also responsible for not taking any useful steps to eliminate weaponisation of the society.
In a developed country, for such acts of violence people would demand an FIR not just against the perpetrator but also against the senior state functionaries.
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2017.
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