A couple from the same clan in Rahim Yar Khan district is on the run after a 150-strong jirga ordered their ‘honour’ killing for eloping, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Around 150 people, including two police constables who belong to the Chandia clan, participated in the jirga, held at Basti Muhammad Ramzan Chandia in the limits of the Abad Pur police station, sources said.
According to police, S* and Riaz ran away, on March 4 and contracted court marriage the next day against their parents’ wishes.
The jirga, which was held in the house of the girl’s father Mukhtiar Chandia, also called for Riaz’s residence to be attacked.
However, the couple along with Riaz’s immediate family has fled to an unknown location, locals and police confirmed.
A lashkar, led by Ammamoon Chandia and Habib Chandia, has been constituted to ensure the implementation of the decisions taken by the jirga, sources further revealed.
Police claimed to have recorded the statement of Riaz’s grandfather Bakhshu Khan Chandia, the only member of the family who has stayed back. Bakhshu said that some of the girl’s family had attacked their house, and threatened the entire family of dire consequences, if S was not returned.
SHO Maqbool Tatla told The Express Tribune that he, along with the DPO Rahim Yar Khan Sohail Zafar Chattha and a heavy contingent of the police, has visited Basti Muhammad Ramazan Chandia to follow up on the incident.
Police further said that so far no written application regarding the jirga has been received from the couple’s families, and added that the girl’s parents have not reported her as missing so far.
The SHO said that if the jirga was held and the decision to kill them was taken, the boy’s family should approach police for protection. He ensured that action would be taken against all those who participated in the jirga. However, police neither visited Mukhtiar Chandia’s house nor arrested any participant of the jirga.
The SHO, however, maintained that there was no need to record the statements of Mukhtiar Chandia or his clan, saying that they have already approached the aggrieved party.
He further said that couple’s whereabouts remain unknown and assured that police would trace them to provide security. A case has been registered at the Abad Pur police station and further investigation is underway, police said.
* Names have been omitted to protect identities
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
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Non-sense at its best. What is the point of bringing back the girl who has eloped without even telling their parents and others? They must respect her right to free choice and let her live according to her wishes. This way they could save themselves a lot of money which were to be wasted in the case of an arranged marriage. People must shun the 'false pride and homour' attached to the women and their bodies.
It is very sad statement on a culture that a couple are threatened with death for getting married without their parents approval.
chandia or chandio as called in sindh are baloch in real not by domicile as CJ the balochi law is simply being followed not the anglo saxon law