Sindhiani Tehreek protests against karo kari, tribal jirgas

Denounces PPP govt for supporting 'courts' of feudal lords, suspending rule of law

HYDERABAD:

The Sindhiani Tehreek (ST) staged a symbolic hunger strike outside the Hyderabad Press Club in protest of the ongoing killing of women in the name of "honour" and the role of tribal jirgas in these injustices.

Addressing the gathering, Central President Umra Samoon, along with leaders Subhani Dahri, Hasna Rahujo, Saima Manghanhar, and others, said that in Sindh, the trade of buying and selling women, and the practice of "karo kari" (honour killing) continue under state patronage. The leaders claimed that tribal jirgas have become centres for the murder and trafficking of women. ST leaders condemned the rising rates of violence against women, the use of "karo kari" to justify murder, and the misogynistic decisions issued by tribal jirgas, calling these actions clear violations of the constitution and the law.

They alleged that the Sindh government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has pushed the province into extreme bondage by providing protection to these jirgas. Further, they accused the PPP government of suspending the rule of law and empowering these illegal and unregulated tribal bodies, resulting in Sindh's women being crushed under the oppression of feudal and tribal systems. The leaders said that the practice of murdering women and then issuing jirga rulings over their lives and dignity, while offering protection to the killers, raises serious questions about the state of the judicial system in Sindh.

The ST demanded that the government immediately ban tribal jirgas to ensure the protection of Sindh's women, calling for judicial reforms that provide affordable and timely justice to victims. Further, they urged swift legal action against tribal leaders who conduct illegal rulings and demanded that those involved in the sale and murder of women under the pretext of "honour" be arrested and given exemplary punishment.