June 18, 2016 – Pakistan Gender News

June 18, 2016

Family kills pregnant woman over ‘honour’

LAHORE: Family members slit the throat of a young mother who was pregnant with her second child for marrying against their will in Gujranwala, officials said Friday, the latest in a spate of so-called “honour killings”.

Muqaddas Bibi was in a relationship with her neighbour Shafiq. Two years ago, they eloped and contracted court-marriage in defiance of her family. Bibi’s family had harboured a grudge against Shafiq ever since.

While visiting a clinic in Butranwali on Thursday for a check-up, Bibi’s family approached her and convinced her to come home.

When she reached home, Aroop SHO Gohar Abbas said her father Bashir, mother Amna, brothers Adeel and Naseer slashed her throat with a sharp-edged weapon.

Abbas said that when the area police reached the house, they found Bibi’s body but her family had fled. The body was shifted to morgue for autopsy while forensic evidence was also collected from the scene.

Bibi had a 10-month old daughter and was seven months pregnant when she was killed, Abbas added.

The official said that a murder case has been registered while investigators were hunting for the suspects.

Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives each year on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.

In May, a teenage girl was burnt alive in Abbottabad on orders of a jirga for allegedly helping her class-fellow elope with her beloved.

Last week 17- year-old Zeenat Bibi was burned alive in Lahore by her mother for marrying a man of her own choice in a case that sparked widespread condemnation.

It was swiftly followed by another killing, a couple shot dead in Lahore by the girl’s father for marrying without the family’s consent.

On Sunday a young girl was killed by her brother for insisting on marrying the man of her choice in Sialkot.

Express Tribune

June 18, 2016

Alisha’s killing unites transvestites

Prompts KP govt to allocate Rs200 million for community

PESHAWAR: The recent killing of a transgender, Alisha, united the transvestites across the province and prompted the government to allocate Rs200 million for their welfare in the annual budget.

Alisha was shot multiple times last month and died at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. The transgender community members and the rights activists believed she could have survived had the hospital staff tended to her properly and provided her timely treatment.

Her tragic death emboldened the community to raise voice for their rights as the transgenders in the past used to remain silent and submissive.Alisha, expelled from her house since childhood, was the first transgender who was publicly buried and people belonging to various walks of life attended her funeral.

Her colleagues from various parts of the province also continued to come to the residence of Farzana, the provincial president of the transgender association, to offer condolences and fateha for Alisha.

Alisha had been living with Farzana, who was also her Guru. This correspondent witnessed her colleagues embracing each other and recalling Alisha’s affection for them.Alisha’s closest friend, Paro, recalled Alisha’s memories and said that she had wished two things a few days before her death.

“She gave me money to keep it, saying this is for her last rites and burial,” Paro said. She said Alisha also suggested collecting funds and buying a car for Farzana, her Guru, who faced problems while travelling to various parts of the province for highlighting transgenders’ problems.

Paro, who was also shot and injured and admitted in a hospital before Alisha’ death, said the government was making tall claims but nothing practical was done for them. She said the government gave the transgenders some government jobs but the salaries were low and they had to quit the jobs.

“By promoting our art, the transgender community could earn and lead a respectable life. Some of our members are top dancers and they can act as makeup artists. The government should support them,” she added.

Dispelling the impression that transgenders were promoting immoral activities, she said it was the government responsibility to check and punish those involved in immoral acts. She claimed 70 percent transgenders want to live a respectable life while the remaining 30 percent are known to everyone.

“The local police usually beat us instead of punishing the culprits of assaults. They are arrested and later released after getting bribe,” she alleged. She claimed the wicked and influential people usually attacked their residences, raped them and took away whatever they have. She said the government should draft strict laws to save them from cruelties.

The society has double standards, she said, adding: “People consider us bad but respect those who come to our houses and shower money on us.”She said the transgenders did not invite anyone but people invited them to their parties.

“People look after their pets such as dogs and cats and provide them water and food, but the entire society has ignored transgender community,” she complained.She added that one of their senior colleagues, Gul Babu, was leading a miserable life and was in desperate need of help.

The News

June 18, 2016

Alarm at ever-widening misogynist fringe

By: Anil Datta

Rights organisations slam savage attacks on women,demand action against Senator Hamdullah and Maulana Sherani

Speaking at a joint press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Friday afternoon, they quoted the case of a girl who was burnt alive on the orders of a Jirga for helping her friend marry a man of her own choice. They also spoke of the case of a young teacher who refused to be drawn into an arranged marriage and was burnt alive in Murree.

Then they quoted a case where blood relatives murdered youngsters who resorted to love marriage. They said that since 2008, 3,000 women had been eliminated that way.

Mehnaz Rehman, head of the Aurat Foundation, said that the civil society was well within its right to ask, “Are women not human? If they are, then what right has anybody to tether them to a stile as if they were cattle or goats?”

A woman, she said, had all the right to decide on her choices for her future just the way men did. “This is something which is allowed by our religion, our constitution and all international covenants Pakistan has signed.”

Rehman said that all these shameful incidents against women were discrediting our religion and our state worldwide. “Our religion doesn’t allow this kind of cruelty on women. The role of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in sparking off the recent events is very significant.”

She said: “We demand that the CII be wound up. In any case, we have elected representatives in the legislative assemblies who frame laws according to the constitution and the people’s wishes. As such, the CII is redundant.”

However, she regretted that the statements of Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani had encouraged the misogynists in the assemblies to make anti-women statements.

Social activist Farhat Parveen said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must take action against Maulan Sherani and Senator Hafiz Hamdullah, who, in a recent TV talk show, threatened a woman journalist and her mother with superlative infamy.

She demanded of the prime minister and the Senate chairman to take immediate action against the two.

Mustafa Gurgaze of the Pakistan Fisherfolks Forum said that there was no room in the constitution for an MNA to hold a government office. As such Sherani’s appointment to the post was unconstitutional.

Asad Butt of the HRCP said that this unhappy situation was the result of the age-old tribal and feudal system. These systems, he said, suppressed all disempowered people. “These feudals and tribals are the ones who make the laws,” he said. They had signed international covenants on the rights of women and yet they were violating them, he said.

Habibuddin Junaidi, trade union leader, said: “We, the workers and trade unions, strongly condemn the treatment of women like in the practice of Karo-kari and the burning alive of women.”

He quoted the Quaid-e-Azam’s speech to the first legislative assembly of Pakistan of August 11, 1947, which ensured the equality of all citizens of the emerging state, including the minorities and women.

He said there were so many examples of women who had done Pakistan proud like Benazir Bhutto and Madar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah, who had the gall to take up cudgels against dictator Ayub Khan.

The speakers were of the view that Pemra should also play an active role in erasing this misogynist set-up. They also pleaded for journalist Marvi Sarmad’s security, who was being threatened for her views in the talk show.

The News

June 18, 2016

Married Hindu girl forcibly remarried by jirga in Thar

By: Hanif Samoon

MITHI: A jirga forcibly remarried an already-married Hindu girl to a 56-year-old man in Katayari village in Tharparkar.

Wadia Bai Meghwar and her cousin Suresh had contracted a marriage of their free will in a Karachi court on May 4, 2016. A few days later, however, a notable from Thar’s Arbab family took Wadia from their home, promising to marry the couple in a traditional wedding.

“But instead of handing her to me, her brother Gayanchand Meghwar married her off to an old man,” said Suresh.

His wife has been married to Chetan Meghwar, who Suresh estimates to be 56 years old.

Inspector General (IG) Sindh AD Khawaja, taking notice of the incident ordered an inquiry and recovery of the girl.

“The girl’s brother and other relatives have been arrested in a raid on Friday, and an investigation into the matter is underway,” said DSP Mithi Bilawal Haq Mehar.

He added that senior police officials have ordered the girl be recovered and produced in court as soon as possible.

Local activists called for a thorough inquiry into the jirga and the Hindu girl’s forced remarriage, demanding severe action against all those involved under the recently-enacted Hindu Marriage Act and other laws to save the young girl.

Dawn