By: Sarfaraz Memon
SUKKUR: Sahiba Mirani, a social mobiliser working for financial empowerment of the widows, was kidnapped and killed in Ghotki Friday evening.
The only educated woman in her family, Sahiba Mirani, left the office of her employers, Takhleeq Foundation, Friday evening after completing her field work. On her way home, she was kidnapped by armed men.
Her body was found in the bushes near a water channel, Dingro Wah, close to village Arib Kolachi, police said.
Her murder shook the community she was working for. Hundreds of citizens staged protest in front of the Ghotki press club, demanding immediate arrest of her killers.
There were contradictory reports regarding the murder. Some sources say that her husband, Mohammad Ali Mirani, had been taken into custody but the Ghotki police station Assistant Head Constable Riaz Ahmed said that so far no one has come forward even to lodge the FIR and hence no one has been arrested.
The sources said that under family pressure, her husband had divorced Sahiba.
However, her cousin claims that the divorce did not take place, the two had patched up and were living together for the last two weeks or so.
The programme manager of Takhleeq Foundation, Mohsin Solangi, told The Express Tribune that the NGO works for women empowerment.
“We provide skills and funds to widows, so they can earn a livelihood,” he said.
He said the women working with the NGO after completing field work come to the office and wait for their relatives to take them back home. Women rarely travel alone in this conservative area of Sindh.
About Sahiba Mirani, he said that usually it was her brother who came to office in the evening to take her home. “Whoever comes to take the women back usually calls and then they leave,” he said, adding he was unaware if someone ever threatened her to quit the job. Sahiba’s cousin, Anwar Mirani, told The Express Tribune that she was not under any pressure to quit the job.
