Honour-killing: Girl hanged to death over suspected love affair
Four days ago, Amna was found sitting with Siraj in a sugar-cane field near Rahim Yar Khan. Upon finding the couple together, Amna’s brother and her father Ramzan Naunari assumed that a love affair had already blossomed between the two. They hurled verbal abuse at Siraj as he scurried away from the spot.
As per tradition, a jirga was convened to decide punishment for the ‘culprits’. Relatives of Siraj and Amna, along with the Sardar of the area , were in attendance at the jirga hearing, which proceeded all night long.
The local jury deemed Amna kari and ordered her execution. Amna’s brothers hanged her to death as opposed to the custom of shooting on their own accord a few hours after the jirga hearing, which made her the sixth girl in five years to be killed in the name of honour.
After an anonymous caller related the story of Amna’s murder, the police arrived in Amna’s village only to learn that her body was already taken for burial. Police officials questioned the haste with which the body was taken for burial, and that too without an autopsy.
Union Nazim Sardar Jam Mushtaq said that authorities were welcome to carry out a postmortem as per legal requirements, however, it would prove futile as no murder had taken place. Mushtaq also swore to take personal responsibility if it was ever proved that Amna’s death was the result of a murder.
However, Station House Officer Saifullah told The Express Tribune that Amna’s brother confessed that he hanged his sister. He said than an FIR was lodged against Amna’s brother and brother-in-law for killing in the name of honour.
On the other hand, a neighbour of Amna’s said that the story about the sugar-cane field was contrived. The real story was that Amna had eloped from home to marry Siraj and was later brought back to the village. The story of her meeting with Siraj was used as a pretext to declare her punishable in the absence of evidence.
*Name of the victim has been changed.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2012.
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In presence of Law and Courts in the Country, No Jirga, No Punchayet of illiterate peoples are required required...Members of this type of groups should be punished according to Law of Pakistan....@Feroz: To answer your question, in Islamic countries it is the 7th century, and yes the women are considered to be property of men.
@Feroz: "...In which century are we living and are women the property of men ?" . In a century where the landowning class retains its tight grip on the social structure of the society. through its lackeys in the political arena.
If anybody wanted to see what life was like in the Dark Ages, all he has to do is visit Pakistan.
For sitting and talking to a man a woman is hanged ? In which century are we living and are women the property of men ?
Sick, sickening, and more sickening. This will continue until land reforms, the law enforcement agencies and courts do not become law abiding and fearless. Salams
So many human lives wasted in the name of so called honor. Now precious tax rupees will be spent on the prosecution of her murderers, and then again the population will have to pay for jail term assigned. It is in our collective interest to raise awareness and bring people out of this ignorance.
Yet some of us continue to claim that western democracy is our biggest curse. We are the best people in the world and have to stay away from all modernity.