October 12, 2015

WAF launches ‘Stop killing women’ campaign

HYDERABAD: The local chapter of the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) launched its ‘Stop killing women’ campaign on Sunday by holding a rally from Shahbaz Building to the local press club.

The participants called for the establishment of separate courts to hear cases relating to women and impose a ban on holding jirgas.

The rally was attended by leaders of political parties and activists of various non-governmental organisations to raise voice against brutal killings of women under different pretexts in Sindh.

The rally also issued a report ‘WAF’s social FIR’ about crime against women. The WAF vowed to expose all those who patronise the accused in crimes against women instead of supporting the latter.

The participants demanded establishment of separate courts to hear cases of women and dispose them off in three months. They stated that membership of elected representatives should be cancelled if they attended jirgas and WAF would consider all tribal chiefs, waderas and sardars to be co-accused if they facilitated such meetings.

They said jirgas were a leading cause of increased number of cases of violence against women. They should be banned in Sindh and all those including civil servants, police officers, tribal chiefs and elected representatives who were part of it should be brought to justice. Policemen involved in such cases should be dismissed from service and departmental action should be taken against those who spoiled investigation, they added.

It claimed that last year 1,447 cases of violence against women were reported in Sindh — 117 women were kidnapped, 58 were subjected to gang rape, 155 committed suicide, 212 fell prey to ‘honour killing’ cases and 202 were subjected to domestic violence and sexual assault. A year before in 2014, 1,883 women were murdered i.e. five women a day.

In 2015, they said, there were 15 women’s murder cases in January, three cases of criminal assault, four of suicide; 15 karo-kari cases in February , six of criminal assault, 10 suicides; 13 karo-kari cases in March, 14 criminal assaults, three suicides; 15 karo-kari cases in April, three criminal assaults, four suicides; six karo-kari cases in May, three criminal assaults, eight suicides; 10 karo-kari cases in June, 10 criminal assaults, five suicides; 15 karo-kari cases in July, three criminal assaults, four suicides.

Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz senior vice-chairman Dr Niaz Kalani said G.M. Syed always stood for higher education of women and sent his daughter abroad for higher studies.

Others who spoke included Comrade Bukhshal Thallu, Ali Bukhshal Thallu, Dr Mushtaq Phul, Hakim Zadi, Umra Samoon, Prof Mushtaq Mirani, Amar Sindhu, Arfana Mallah, Haseen Musarat Shah and Punhal Sario.

Dawn

October 12, 2015

Call for end to killings in the name of honour

LARKANA: The ‘black’ custom of karo-kari should be eradicated for good in the name of which countless innocent men and women are mercilessly slaughtered, said MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi on Sunday.

At the launch of a book Lateefi Fahem by Ada Fazal Qazi at Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Memorial Library she said that the inhuman custom was mostly used to settle personal scores.

Speaking as a chief guest at the literary sitting organised by the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, she said: “I am my proud to be here and share my views on the book. Writing on Bhitai is not a child’s play as it demands deep inspiration, understanding and power of expression to portray suffering and pain.”

She said that Ada’s writings truly reflected society because he portrayed realistic characters in his short stories.

She lamented the gradually vanishing of non-violence and religious tolerance which used to be hallmarks of this land of Sufis, and Sindh’s identity as being a tolerant society was being tarnished.

Prof Muhktiar Samoo, Dr Badar Dhamraho, Akbar Shah Rashdi, Jeeal Oad, comrade Karim Baloch also spoke at the book launch.

Two killed in name of honour

Tasleem Hussain Gaad, 25, and his cousin Ms Anees Khatoon, 21, were shot dead on the pretext of karo-kari and their bodies were thrown in a guava orchard in the jurisdiction of Mahota police station on Sunday.

The police shifted the bodies to the mortuary of Chandka Medical College Hospital after collecting evidence. The bodies were handed over to their heirs after autopsy.

The victims were residents of Akil village, said Waseem Gaad, brother of Tasleem.

He said his brother worked at a laboratory in Karachi. He was kidnapped two days ago while Anees also went missing in Resham Gali Larkana two days ago, he said.

Police have picked up two suspects identified as Waheed Gaad and Noshad Gaad in connection with the double murder.

Dawn

October 12, 2015October 13, 2015

The fisherwoman who has dared to challenge the ‘big fish’

By: Hafiz Tunio

KARACHI: “Some lose heart after suffering defeat, but I don’t care whether I win or lose. The important thing is that I have challenged a feudal lord who has always ignored women, considering them lesser mortals,” said Fatima Majeed, a fisherwoman who has challenged Jan Alam Jamote, a feudal of Ibrahim Hyderi, in the upcoming local government elections.

The influence of the Jamote family in the coastal villages of Karachi can be gauged from the fact that even men would think twice before talking against them.

The plight of women, injustice and lack of education has compelled 36-year-old Fatima to contest the elections against Jamote, a former mayor of Bin Qasim Town, whose family has always won the provincial assembly and local bodies elections from the area. “They have always won the polls from Ibrahim Hyderi, the biggest settlement of fishermen, but don’t even heed to the basic problems of its citizens,” lamented Fatima, pointing towards women carrying heavy cauldrons of water on their heads. “Look at these women. I have a dream that these women and young girls should stop fetching potable water in pots and use portable vessels instead.”

Fatima, who is the vice-chairperson of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), a representative organisation of fishermen in Pakistan, started her career as a social worker after completing her college education. Her father, Majeed Motani, a fisherman who was arrested by the Indian Maritime Security Agency in 1988, is her main source of inspiration.

Fatima is said to be the first woman of Malir, and even the costal belt of Karachi, to be contesting the election for the slot of union council (UC) chairperson from the Ibrahim Hyderi UC that falls in the Karachi district council. The latter comprises 38 UCs of Malir and district West. “Though we work hard through the platform of the PFF to bring change, there are a lot of problems that can only be addressed through mainstream politics, which is why I have stood up and challenged the bigwigs,” she said, adding that there can be no better task than to fight injustice. “These landlords have always won the MPA, MNA and district council chairperson seats from our area but have done nothing for us. One should take bold decisions, which is why I have challenged them,” she said.

In view of her popularity among the fishermen, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has allotted her a party ticket to contest the polls against the Jamote Panel. “My father has always won the councilor’s seat from here and the majority of the people in our community have encouraged me,” she said.

Fatima’s family members still rely on fishing and many of them live on islands near Karachi. Her father said they used to spend ten months of the year on islands and would return to Ibrahim Hyderi only when there was a high tide, especially in the months of June and July. He said that the elected representatives of the coastal belt have always taken votes, promising to bring change in the social lives of fishermen, but all in vain. “They visit us only on the days in the run-up to the elections. Now we have decided to field our own candidates in the local bodies’ elections, instead of toeing the line of these landlords,” he said.

Express Tribune