Darra honour killing: Three women executed on tribal jirga’s orders
Political administration swings into action against local jirga.
A woman was accused of fleeing her husband's house and marrying another man with the help of her aunt and cousin. PHOTO: FILE
KOHAT:
The plight of women in the country came to the forefront on Monday, when three women were murdered in cold blood on the orders of a local jirga in the name of honour.
Sadia, her aunt Aman and cousin Asia were gunned down by relatives in Kohat Jowaki Jammu, near Darra Adamkhel, after a local jirga accused Sadia of dishonouring the family.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a family source revealed that Sadia was married to Jehangir, a resident of Jammu Landiwal, and was living in Karachi when she was alleged to have gone missing.
Suspicious of Sadia’s aunt Aman Bibi and her daughter Asia Bibi’s involvement in the disappearance, Jehangir inquired about Sadia’s whereabouts from her relatives who denied having any information about her.
However, relying on phone records of Sadia, which showed that she had talked to her relatives before her disappearance, Jehangir accused Aman Bibi and her husband of being involved in selling his wife to someone else in Swat, without any evidence.
When the district administration of Swat was informed of the incident, they sent Sadia to a local shelter home for her protection and sought a surety bond from Jehangir that he would not harm Sadia if she was returned to his care.
Despite agreeing to the surety bond, Jehangir convened a local jirga upon his arrival in the village.
Flouting laws, the jirga ordered the execution of Sadia, along with Aman and Asia. Following the gruesome murders, the local administration arrested the alleged culprits Jehangir and Nasir on the orders of political agent Saddat Hassan.
In a statement issued by the political agent, Hassan claimed that the administration has filed a case against jirga members and launched an investigation into the incident.
He added that all the members of the jirga had been arrested and their property seized.
The political agent also said that as a response to the unlawful murder of the three women, the administration had stopped the salaries of class-IV employees working in the assistant political agent office. Moreover, all the allowances of the said employees have also been ended.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.
The plight of women in the country came to the forefront on Monday, when three women were murdered in cold blood on the orders of a local jirga in the name of honour.
Sadia, her aunt Aman and cousin Asia were gunned down by relatives in Kohat Jowaki Jammu, near Darra Adamkhel, after a local jirga accused Sadia of dishonouring the family.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a family source revealed that Sadia was married to Jehangir, a resident of Jammu Landiwal, and was living in Karachi when she was alleged to have gone missing.
Suspicious of Sadia’s aunt Aman Bibi and her daughter Asia Bibi’s involvement in the disappearance, Jehangir inquired about Sadia’s whereabouts from her relatives who denied having any information about her.
However, relying on phone records of Sadia, which showed that she had talked to her relatives before her disappearance, Jehangir accused Aman Bibi and her husband of being involved in selling his wife to someone else in Swat, without any evidence.
When the district administration of Swat was informed of the incident, they sent Sadia to a local shelter home for her protection and sought a surety bond from Jehangir that he would not harm Sadia if she was returned to his care.
Despite agreeing to the surety bond, Jehangir convened a local jirga upon his arrival in the village.
Flouting laws, the jirga ordered the execution of Sadia, along with Aman and Asia. Following the gruesome murders, the local administration arrested the alleged culprits Jehangir and Nasir on the orders of political agent Saddat Hassan.
In a statement issued by the political agent, Hassan claimed that the administration has filed a case against jirga members and launched an investigation into the incident.
He added that all the members of the jirga had been arrested and their property seized.
The political agent also said that as a response to the unlawful murder of the three women, the administration had stopped the salaries of class-IV employees working in the assistant political agent office. Moreover, all the allowances of the said employees have also been ended.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.