‘Killers of five women in Balochistan will be punished’

ISLAMABAD: Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri said on Monday that those involved in the killing of five women in Balochistan would be punished.

In a telephonic interview with a TV channel, she said if the crime is proved, the culprits would be dealt with in accordance with the law of the land notwithstanding their status and political weight.

She denied the impression that the PPP government was hesitant to take action against the culprits because of their affiliation with the party. First of all, the culprits would be identified after an investigation, she said, adding that, such criminals had no party or faith.

She also denied the impression that this was a tradition in some parts of the country, including Balochistan, saying that such cruel tradition did not exist anywhere in the country, including the tribal areas.

If a gruesome incident like that takes place in any area, it is the work of some individuals having no linkage whatsoever with the common culture or traditions of the area, she added. Pakistan is a Muslim state and Islam strictly bans violence against women, Shazia said. The Sindh Assembly, she said, had unanimously condemned this incident and the opposition members had also come hard on that. Such incidents are usually not made public in certain areas and the credit goes to the media which highlighted this particular incident, the minister said.
Source: The News
Date:9/2/2008