Day: August 9, 2023

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Women’s contribution to Chitral folk literature highlighted

CHITRAL: The speakers in a seminar highlighted the contribution of women to the promotion of Chitral’s folk literature and declared it “striking and significant”.

The event titled ‘Reviving the feminine perspective in Khowar (Chitrali language) folk literature’ was jointly organized by the Anjuman-i-Taraqi Khowar and Women Literary Forum with the financial assistance of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme and attended by literary figures and people from other walks of life in large numbers.

President of a local tourism association Shahzada Maqsoodul Mulk was the chief guest on the occasion, while Dr. Inayatullah Faiz, Farida Sultana Fari, Zahurul Haq Danish, Iqbaluddin Sahar, Abdul Wali Khan Abid, Farid Raza, Murad Akbar, Samrina Hussain, and others presented their papers.

The speakers said that no one could think that women had contributed so much to Chitrali literature and culture when they didn’t have formal education and illiteracy “enveloped” them.

They said that women’s natural faculties and capabilities were shown by poetry.

The speakers said that Chitrali women produced masterpieces in the realm of folk songs and poetry and that they all fascinated the younger generation of today.

They said that Chitral’s folk stories like Nano Begal, Nan Doshi, Nano Xan, and Ashoor Jan dated back more than 150 years ago but were learned and sung by hundreds of people in the region.

The speakers said that Chitral’s history was full of women, who exhibited acts of gallantry fighting the enemy.

They said that the role of women in the arena of language and literature should be broadened in the modern age for which a conducive environment could be created through the removal of cultural barriers.

The speakers established a connection between the revival of the folk heritage of Chitral and the promotion of tourism through it and presented examples of many countries where it helped attract tourists.

A video on Chitral’s famous folk song ‘Lowah’ was also released on the occasion.

Source: Dawn

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2 university teachers booked for student rape in DG Khan

 

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Two professors of the Ghazi University, DG Khan, have been charged by police with rape following a video statement uploaded on social media by a student, accusing them of subjecting her to sexual assault.

The Gaddai police registered a rape case against both professors of the university’s Physics department, under section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to sources, the student had previously filed a complaint in May with the vice chancellor’s office, alleging that the two professors had raped her and had been sexually harassing her. After the matter was highlighted in the local press, the university formed a committee to investigate the matter, which found the accused guilty.

Subsequently, in light of the inquiry report, the professors were suspended from service.

However, the university administration refrained from getting a criminal case registered against the faculty members. However, the matter was highlighted again after surfacing the video statement of the survivor on social media.

In the FIR, the complainant stated that another student had lured her to a private place on the pretext of getting her grades improved by the suspects.

She said that on reaching there, one of the suspects overpowered her, while the other allegedly drugged and raped her.

The case against the suspects was registered after Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar took notice of the matter and ordered the district police officer to probe into it.

The IGP said those responsible for such crimes should be brought to justice after a thorough investigation.

Source: Dawn

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CCTV footage shows torture victim ‘in bad shape

ISLAMABAD: The CCTV footage of the 14-year-old torture victim that came to the fore on Tuesday showed her in bed shape, shattering all the claims made by defense lawyers in the house help abuse case, Geo News reported.

Several bits of the CCTV footage showed Rizwana — the teenage girl who was brutally tortured by Civil Judge Asim Hafeez’s wife Somia Asim while being employed as a domestic help at their home — limping on the bus stop where she was handed over to her parents by the suspect.

The harrowing case of violence against children surfaced last month when the seriously injured girl was shifted to a hospital in Lahore, with her parents alleging that her employer Somia had inflicted severe torture on the child.

A case was registered on the parents’ behalf on the very next day, but the prime suspect was arrested after a long wait, when a local court in Islamabad finally cancelled her bail on August 7.

The judge and his wife deny all the allegations, claiming that Somia had never beaten Rizwana and that all injuries she has are due to a skin infection caused by eating “dirt”.

The lawyer representing Somia in the court contended that the CCTV video of the bus stop was evidence that Rizwana returned to her parents fit and fine.

However, the video showed the opposite as the girl was seen struggling to get out of a car that came to drop her at the bus stop. She was then seen walking with difficulty after she stepped out of the car.

Another bit of the CCTV footage showed two men carrying the girl into the bus as she couldn’t walk on her own.

Source: The News

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The wife of the judge sent to judicial remand

ISLAMABAD: A local court, on Tuesday, rejected the prosecution’s request for granting physical remand of Somia Asim, the wife of a civil judge in the case of underage housemaid Rizwana Bibi and sent her to jail on 14 days’ judicial remand.

Civil Judge Shaista Khan Kundi, while announcing the reserved judgment, dismissed the police’s request for granting physical remand of the accused Somia and sent her to jail, and directed the police to produce her before the court on August 22.

Earlier, the police produced Somia before the court for obtaining her physical remand. Police arrested the accused after a court rejected her bail on August 7. At the start of the hearing, the prosecutor, Waqas Haral, requested the court to grant two days’ physical remand of the accused for conducting further investigation from her.

The judge remarked that as per law, physical remand of a female accused can be granted only in the attempt of murder and murder cases. The prosecutor told the court that physical remand is required for obtaining the receipts of wages paid to the victim, as well as, the video related to the case.

The counsel of the accused, Nazar Niazi, told the court that there is an allegation against his client as the victim was not an employee of his client. “The victim was not an employee of his client”, he said.

The judge told the prosecutor that if you want to obtain the video then you should take it from the Safe City Islamabad. I cannot grant you physical remand of the suspect based on media hype, the judge further said.

The accused came to the rostrum and said that she is ready for all kinds of cooperation. “I am a mother of three children; therefore, do not torture me in such a way,” she said, adding that the police called her at 11:30 pm and tortured her mentally. I am being subjected to a huge media trial, due to which I want to commit suicide, she said, adding that she has no such role in this case, the way it has been presented.

The judge again told the prosecutor that if he wants to obtain video then he can take it instead of physically remanding it. I cannot grant you physical remand of the accused on the ground that the investigation officer (IO) will collect the CCTV footage, the judge said.

The judge questioned the IO why are you requesting for two-day physical remand. He told the court that remand of the accused is required for conducting further investigation from her. What you did do from yesterday till today, the judge asked the IO.

To this, the IO said that they collected sufficient evidence during the investigation. You have admitted that you have collected evidence during the investigation then why do you need a physical remand, asked the judge.

The defense counsel requested the court to direct the media to stop the media trial of his client. The court, after hearing arguments, reserved its judgment.

Later, while announcing its judgment, rejected the police request and sent the accused to jail.

Source: Business Recorder

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