KARACHI, September 03 (PPI): A fresh case of Karo-kari has been reported in Yousuf Goth in limits of Shah Latif Town police, where a Jirga labeled a woman was Kari and ordered her to marry a certain person or be ready for death penalty.

Addressing a press conference at Madadgaar Office of Lawyers of Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) here on Wednesday, a woman Farzana Aarfani told the newsmen said that her brother Shaukat Aarfani had tried to occupy land of one Saleem and abused and murdered his sister.
She said that her father Ali Aarfani, her brother Shaukat Aarfani, Wadera Akhter Aarfani, Wadera Rab Nawaz Aarfani and others tried to use her as an escape-goat to get absolved Shaukat from all blames.

For materializing the plan a jirga was assembled in Bhains Colony More, which was told she (Farzana) had illicit relations with Saleem and the murder by his brother was a reaction to these illicit relations, she said.

She further said the Jirga gave verdict that as she was a Kari she would have to marry with a person of Jirga’s choice or be killed if refused to marry,” she added.

She said that for this she was put in confinement and finally she was forced to marry a drug addict, who was involved in criminal activities.

She said she managed to run away and contact the Madadgaar Helpline where administration gave her shelter.

President Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) Advocate Zia Awan strongly condemned the incident and asked the government to implement the judgments of Sindh High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan against jirgas in letter and spirit.

Regarding the incident of burying alive five women in Balochistan he said that it was a total negligence of local police, who actually work under the thumbs of feudal lords and jirgas instead of obeying the law.

He said that it was regrettable act that Co-Chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of PML-N Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others have failed to condemn the incident.

He demanded of the government to lodge an FIR against the Jirga.
Source: The Nation
Date:9/4/2008