Day: June 30, 2011

Zeeshan Mujahid

KARACHI: “The land mafia first lured us into buying cheap plots. After the houses were constructed, they had us vacate them at gunpoint. They raped me and my sister-in-law for trying to resist and had false cases registered against us.” Noor Bibi, resident of Mehran Town, burst into tears as she told a gathering at the press club of her ordeal.

On Wednesday evening, former speaker Sindh Assembly Rahila Tiwana, now a central leader of the National Peoples Party’s (NPP) women’s wing, listened to Noor and other women who had been victimised by land grabbers.

The frail, poorly clothed women painted a sad picture as they spoke of their experiences at the hands of gun-toting men who all claimed to be associated with some political party or the other. “When I went to the area to hear complaints and look into the situation, I too was surrounded by armed men,” said Tiwana. “They made a public announcement that said if anyone came out and made a statement [to me], they will be dealt with severely once I left.”

Tiwana claims that these men hide behind political parties instead of political activists. “The police appear to either be in cahoots with them or are afraid of them as they have failed to protect these women.” They have lost every last penny and are now living in constant fear without a roof over their heads, she added.

Another victim told the press club of her madrassa where she taught over 300 children. She too was forced out of her school by armed men. When she tried to resist, she was abused. “I contacted everyone, including the police, but no one came to my rescue,” she said.

It appears that it is not only women from the lower class that are being targeted. The president of NPP, Karachi, also appealed to the authorities, asking them to recover her husband who has been missing for six years.

The NPP was bombarded with complaints within a few days of having activated its women’s complaint cell. The majority were from poor women being oppressed by the land mafia, Tiwana told reporters. She asked all political parties to make sure that no miscreants associate themselves with these parties when they are, in fact, land grabbers.

Source: The Express Tribune

Date:6/30/2011

HARIPUR: The bail application of three jirga members charged with abetting the public abuse of a woman in Neelor Bala was rejected on Wednesday.

A court of an additional session judge rejected the bail. A similar bail application of the three was earlier rejected by the court of judical magistrate on June 23.

The Saddar police had booked Abdul Rasheed Abbasi, Raqeeb Khan and Matloob Khan of Neelor Bala village under section 202 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. They were allegedly part of the jirga that instigated four brothers to ‘settle scores’ with victim Shaheen’s* family.

One of the brothers, Shabbir* accused his wife Sadia* of having illicit relations with Shaheen’s son Karim* and took the matter to the jirga, who found Karim and his cousin Arshad* guilty of raping Sadia.

Shabbir and three of his brothers — Manzoor, Arsalan and Imran — went on to allegedly attack Shaheen, strip her and parade her naked through the streets of the village.

The police also charged the three jirga members with intentionally concealing the information of disrobing the victim.

The accused were arrested on June 12 and were on judicial remand in Haripur jail. Following the rejection of the first bail plea, the accused moved to the next forum of sessions court praying for release on bail. While arguing on behalf of the victim, Advocates Khurshid Azhar, Gulnaz Rasheed, Javed Sheikh and Shahid Mehbood contended that the offence was not only against a hapless poor woman but against society in general. They said that the act has left every woman feeling insecure.

Source: The Express Tribune

Date:6/30/2011

SUKKUR: The shabby tradition of Karo Kari claimed four lives, including two women here on Wednesday. In village Meera Magsi in the limits of Bahram police station, accused Faisal Magsi shot dead his wife Bhiraie and her alleged paramour Abdul Qadir Magsi over illicit relations.

The accused later went to the police station with his pistol and confessed. In Khairpur Ali Dino, the owner of a motorcycle showroom, Kharous, was gunned down over Karo Kari by armed men, who had arrived on a motorcycle. In Luhar Colony of Larkana, an accused Siddiq Khuhawar fired at his wife Maryam and his sister Abida. Maryam died on the spot while Abida was seriously injured and shifted to Chandka Medical Hospital.

Source: The News

Date:6/30/2011

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court directed on Wednesday that a 40-acre piece of land owned by a karokari accused should be handed over to her.

In a suo motu case, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry asked the police officials concerned to provide full security to Haleema Bhutto and arrest the accused. Haleema Bhutto, a resident of Ghotki district in Sindh, told the court that her father and husband had victimised her to grab her land.

Ms Bhutto said she was encamped before the local press club for three months.

Source: Dawn

Date:6/30/2011