Day: December 13, 2007

ISLAMABAD. The participants of a meeting on “violence against women” on Wednesday called for a positive change in the society’s approach towards women to end violence against them.

The meeting was organised by Rozan, a non-government organisation in collaboration with Sungi Development Foundation to mark the Human Rights Day.

The participants condemned the undue and illogical restrictions imposed on women, by the society and stressed the need for the equal treatment for both men and women in all fields of life. “Women should not be restricted inside of their homes without their will rather they should be encouraged to show their expertise in various fields of life,” they said. They said that women must be equipped with the entrepreneur, technical, leadership and other skills in order to improve the standard of living and to promote gender equality at work place.

“Women comprise more than 50 per cent of the whole Population and it was not at all possible for a country to progress without the participation of women,” they added. They condemned the suppression of women by the parents, in-laws and the society, and called for the active implementation of laws that ensure the rights of women. “The law enforcement agencies should play their role in ensuring the implementation of laws and for giving punishment to those who disobey the law,” they said. “There were no glimpses of the concept dowry in Islam but the people were still following it as it was an easiest way to grasp luxury from the girl’s side”, they added.

Source: Daily Times

Date:12/13/2007

KHAIRPUR: One Ms Rozina 28 wife of Bashir Ahmed Merani was axed to death by an accused
Gull Muhammad Merani brother of husband of deceased at village Ghulam Hussain kandhar near Piryaloi on Wednesday.

The cause of murder is to be stated over Karo-Kari. Piryaloi Police dead body of deceased handed her husband Basher Ahmed Memon. Police registered the case and started investigation.

Source: The Nation

Date:12/13/2007

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday directed the Gujranwala police to recover two sisters abducted from Naushera Virkan some two years ago and gave six-week time to ensure their recovery.

Deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken suo moto action on abduction of two sisters from Nowshera Virkan, Gujranwala, some two years back.

Humaira and Sumaira, daughters of Aish Muhammad Syed, went missing from outside their house over two years ago. The Naushera, Virkan police had registered a case against unidentified persons in 2005.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising the newly appointed Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Mohammad Moosa K Laghari and Justice Mian Hamid Farooq Khan, while hearing the case also directed the Gujranwala police to submit a report before the court if the abducted two sisters were out of the country.

During the hearing, Punjab Assistant Advocate General Afshan Ghazanfar and Gujranwala police appeared before the bench.

Meanwhile, the bench directed Gujranwala police to recover the abducted sisters within six weeks and warned that no more time would be given to the police in this regard.

During the last hearings of the case, the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had ordered the Gujranwala police to ensure recovery of two sisters. The police had repeatedly told the court that they were trying their level best to recover them, adding that they had received information that both the girls had been taken to the United Arab Emirates and then to the United Kingdom.

The police had sought more time-from the apex court for the recovery of the girls.

Source: The News

Date:12/13/2007

A 29-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a local of her area in the Shalimar police precinct on Wednesday.

The police said Almas Yousaf, a resident of Deputy Yaqoob Colony, Shalimar, was alone at her house — her husband was at work and her children were at their schools. Police said a local of the area namely Sheikh Naeem alias Bitto knocked at the door of their house. Police said when Almas opened the door, Naeem held her at gunpoint and took her inside. Police said Naeem tied Almas with a rope and raped her. Police said Naeem left the house almost half an hour later and threatened Almas of dire consequences if she approached the police. Police said the victim informed her husband Yousaf about the incident, who got a case registered against Naeem.

Source: Daily Times

Date:12/13/2007

JHANG, Dec 13: A newly-wed girl, who was burnt allegedly by her husband and brother-in-law two days ago, died at a hospital late on Wednesday night. Khatoon of Sillanwali, Sargodha district, wed Nadeem of Kot Isra Shah, Jhang district, about six months ago. She left her house just 15 days after her marriage because of her strained relationship with her husband. Her in-laws eventually brought her back through a ‘panchayat’ some 10 days before the incident.

Khatoon’s father Saeed Ahmed stated in his complaint to police that his son-in-law, Nadeem, and his brother sprinkled kerosene on her, set her ablaze, locked her in a room and fled.

Khatoon started screaming and her neighbours came to rescue her. They took her to Jhang district hospital, from where she was taken to Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital where she succumbed to her burns.

Her body was handed to her father after an autopsy.

Accused Nadeem’s uncle Ghulam Muhammad said Khatoon was alone at home at the time of incident, adding she had committed suicide by setting herself ablaze.

Qadirpur police have registered a case against Nadeem and his brother.

Source: Dawn

Date:12/14/2007