Day: November 19, 2014

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All a ‘rape survivor’ asks for is justice

Five women raped

By: Sidrah Roghay

Karachi: A rape survivor’s fight for justice has brought her to Karachi. Twenty-two-year-old Beena*, principal of a private school, says five men from Dadu had kidnapped her on October 25 and taken her to an undisclosed location, where one of them, Fayyaz Mirani, raped her.

“Every time I left the house for work Fayyaz would pass lewd remarks at me,” she told The News at the office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday.She ignored them thinking it was nothing serious. “Then, on October 25 he came to me with four of his friends, put a gun to my head, blindfolded me and took me to a strange house. There he raped me.”

Beena says it was when Fayyaz left the room to receive a phone call that she ran out of the open door to safety. “I could hear him speaking to my other kidnappers, asking them to come to the house so that they could rape me too.”

She escaped to the women’s police station in Dadu and filed a complaint against two of the accused. However, the main accused Fayyaz was released on bail. It took the police three days to take her to a medico-legal officer for an examination, and that too after she paid them Rs5,000.

In rape cases medical examination should be conducted as soon as possible, otherwise there is no circumstantial evidence when the case is tried in court, and only the allegations of the rape survivor against the rapist.

“The medical report stated that there was no sexual intercourse. Fayyaz paid the medico-legal officer to tamper with the evidence,” claimed Beena. She said since she had started fighting her case in court, her house in Dadu was often attacked, adding that her sister and brother-in-law lived in that house under a constant threat.

She claims she receives phone calls and text messages from her rapist. “My life is threatened. My tribe does not support my decision to go to court. All I ask is for justice.”The HRCP’s Asad Butt said: “Like in most rape cases, the attitude of the police and delay in a medical examination has complicated this case.”

He said Beena’s case had been referred to a lawyer. “She will be sent to a shelter home while her case is under trial.”* Name changed to protect privacy

The News

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Doctor booked for raping nurse

TOBA TEK SINGH: City police on Tuesday registered a case against Dr Ziaul Islam on the charge of raping a nurse. The victim reported to police that the accused raped her. She said that the accused also threatened to kill her. The medical examination report has confirmed rape with the nurse. Police are conducting raids to arrest the accused doctor.

The News

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Acid-attack burn cases should be tried in ATCs’

LAHORE: Cases involving acid and burn crimes should be heard by anti-terrorism courts, participants of a provincial consultation on developing legislation for the victims of such crimes said on Tuesday.

The Dastak Charitable Trust had arranged the consultation to discuss and add suggestions to the draft of a bill, titled the Acid and Burn Crime Act 2014, before it is sent to the Provincial Assembly for needful action. The participants were of the view that Sections 336-A and 336-B of the Act were insufficient to deal with the heinous crime. The Acid Survivor Foundation has prepared the draft in collaboration with the Saad Rasool Law Associates. Advocate Saad Rasool said the Act would help treat acid or burn incidents not only as a crime but as a social issue.

“It will generate a huge debate. The participants have agreed to need for improving the draft,” he said.

He called for assigning a special prosecutor to deal with cases involving acid and burn attacks. The prosecutor, he said, should be specifically trained for the purpose.

Rasool said the state should support the victims financially. It should also ensure their rehabilitation, he said. “The state should ensure that victims of such crimes are integrated into society,” he said.

He favoured a high-powered board to oversee and ensure implementation of the law.

Rasool said a witness protection programme should be introduced to ensure that case proceeding went unhindered. He said those providing medical assistance to victims should be required to inform police about their condition.

Advocate Sabahat Rizvi said acid and burn crimes could be reduced if the related cases were taken up by anti-terrorism courts.

Rizvi said Sections 336-A and 336-B were insufficient to deal with the heinous crime.

Humayun Taimoor Baig, a forensic odontologist, said occupational hazard should also be included in the bill. He said the bill should also cover victims of gas inhaling at factories. Under the bill, he said, victims of acid and burn crimes would be treated as disabled as defined by The Disable Person (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance, 1981. He said the acid-throwing should be declared a non-bailable offence.

The participants said such cases should not be probed by an officer of no less than ASP rank. The draft of the bill provides that an officer not less than the rank of an SHO should deal with such cases.

They stressed the need for establishing burn units in hospital of all districts.

Express Tribune

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Child molestation suspect sent to jail

By: Akbar Bajwa

LAHORE: A man suspected of molesting a four-year-old girl was presented before a local court on Tuesday. Sajjad*, a watchman at the school where the girl studied, was sent to jail on judicial remand.

On Monday, Saima*, a grade one student, returned late from the school and told her parents that she had been assaulted.

Mother of the child filed a complaint with the police. Police arrested two peons, a guard and a watchman. They were set free after questioning except for Sajjad.

Islampura SHO Maqsood Gujjar said that Sajjad had confessed. “He told us that when most of the children had left the school, he took Saima to his quarter and molested her,” Gujjar said.

Clothes and swabs of the girl were sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency for examination. A medical examination of the girl on Tuesday concluded that she had been sexually molested.

Police said that the principal of the school, who had also been nominated in the FIR, had obtained interim bail.

Dozens of neighbours staged a protest demonstration outside the school on Tuesday and chanted slogans against police and the school administration. Some of them said that the school be closed.

City division SP Asad Sarfraz met the girl’s family.

*The names have been changed to protect identities

The Express Tribune

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Women education must for society uplift: Malala

PESHAWAR: Noble peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday said that education is the right of every child whether male or female and the government must strive hard to promote education for eliminating injustices and ignorance in the society.

She said this while addressing a function arranged in her honour by Rashid Hussain Foundation here at Neshtar Hall Peshawar on Thursday. Central General Secretary of Awami National Party Mian Iftikhar Hussain and large number of students were present on the occasion.

Addressing through video link, she added that women were deprived of their rights, adding that time has been changed and now women better know about their rights.

She said that for a prosperous society, women must be educated. She reiterated her dream that every child should have a book and pen. “In order to spread the message of education we all must work together,” she said. Malala said that women should strive hard for getting their rights. While praising the sacrifices of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, she said that his son was martyred but he never left the right way.

Addressing on the occasion, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that certain elements are hatching propaganda campaign against Malala Yousafzai who do not want peace and education in the country. He condemned those elements who are criticising Malala without any justification. He said that they are proud of Malala Yousafzai who rendered matchless sacrifices for the promotion of education in the country. He said that Malala Yousafzi is not the name of a person but it is a symbol of a philosophy and no one could undermine this philosophy from the heart of Pakhtuns.

Mian Iftikhar said that those who have negative thoughts regarding Malala’s philosophy are the products of extremism and militancy. He said that Pakhtuns are not terrorists but they have been defamed by terrorist elements. He said that Malala Yousafzai has proved that Pakhtuns love peace and they are not supporting terrorism on their soil.

Mamanra Afridi, a female student from FATA Khyber Agency, also paid tributes to Malala Yousafzai and said that he got inspiration from Malala struggle for woman education. She said that everyone among them is Malala and they would not hesitate to keep up her mission.

General Secretary National Youth Organisation Hassan Buneri paid rich tributes to Malala for wining noble peace prize. She said that Malala represented all the Pakhtuns at international level and conveyed real image of Pakhtuns across the world.

The Nation

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