Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Sindh police has stopped the investigation into the case of a gang rape of a 13-year old girl as a result of the case involving powerful people, among them two lawyers belonging to the ruling party. A doctor, who is also affiliated with the ruling party, stopped the completion of the medical report, which confirmed the rape. The journalists reporting on the case were threatened by the provincial ministers to stop reporting on the involvement of the lawyers. In retaliation, the perpetrators of the gang rape filed a case of abduction against the victim’s father. The district executive health officer (DEO-Health) has shown his inability to issue the provisional medical report, which was already prepared by the government hospital.
The victim continues to suffer from brutal nightmares and depression after the incident. She has threatened the local authorities that if she could not get justice she will commit suicide.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The minor girl, Miss Naveeda Kalhoro (13), is a resident of Bhiria road, Ratey mohalla, Bhiria taluka, district Naushahro Feroze, Sindh province. On October 26, 2010, she filed a First Information Report (FIR), a police document for legal process, accusing two lawyers from Peoples Lawyer Forum (PLF), a lawyer’s body of the ruling party the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), for subjecting her to gang-rape in a sugarcane field. On October 28, she recorded her statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the civil judge and the judicial magistrate of district Naushahro Feroze.
According to her statement, on October 26 at 6:30 p.m. six persons, armed with firearms, rushed into her house while she was cooking. They abducted her and took her on a motorcycle to a car parked at the roadside pushing her inside. The accused persons sitting in the car were identified as lawyer Mr. Abdul Salam Luhrani, general secretary of Peoples Lawyer Forum (PLF)–a lawyer’s organization of the ruling party in the Naushahro Feroze district; and his brother, lawyer Abdul Karim Luhrani “alias Abdul Raheem Lurahni”, former vice mayor of Bhiria taluka (Bhiria town).
They told her that she is being abducted because a girl from the Luhrani tribe (a tribe that the perpetrators belong to) has married a young man from her tribe, the Kalhoro tribe, in a love marriage. The marriage was conducted before the civil magistrate with the help of one of Naveeda’s brothers. The perpetrators wanted to take revenge on her brother for his help in arranging the love marriage.
Naveeda identified the men who have gang raped her as: Mr. Abdul Karim, alias Abdul Raheem Luhrani; Mr. Abdul Salam Ruhani, Mr. Hashim Luhrani, Mr. Baig Bux, alias Baigo Luhrani; Mushtaq Luhrani, Zaman Luhrani, Nisar Luhrani and an unknown person. However, later on, two of the accused, Abdul Salam Luhrani and Abdul Karim Luhrani, were dropped by the police due to pressure by the ruling party and a member of the provincial assembly who belong to the same area. The policemen were expected to have accepted a huge bribe to delete their names.
Naveeda explained that she was found on a roadside by the District Superintendent of Police (SP) and Bhiria Road police party, where she was thrown in a depleted condition. She was quickly admitted to the Naushahro Feroze district hospital, a government hospital. The doctor on duty conducted a medical examination and confirmed that she had been raped by more than one person. She also gave her statement to the police at the hospital.
The accused persons were arrested, but they were quickly granted interim bail because the medical report at that time was not made available. The female doctor Mamoona explained that she could not release the medical report without being cleared by the district Executive Health Officer (DEO-Health). On October 31, the father of the accused lawyers filed a fabricated case of abduction against Nevadee’s father, Ghulam Hussain Kalhoro. The case had falsely accused him of abducting the sister of the lawyers on October 23, three days before Naveeda was gang raped.
The people of Bhiria Road town were agitated. They continuously held protest demanding for the arrest of the perpetrators. Mr. Inayat Wasi, the Deputy Superintendent of Police; and Mr. Irfan Bhutto, the District Investigation officer, with a rank of Superintendent of police, have announced to the demonstrators that they will reject the case of abduction filed against Naveeda’s father because it is fabricated. The police officers claim that they were under pressure from the government and the ruling party not to arrest the perpetrators.
Four journalists from prominent television channels, Mr. Qari Zulfiqar, the president of Naushahro Feroze district press club; Mr. Zahid Rajpar, Mr. Zahid Qaimkhani and Mr. Ali Mohammad Shah, were all asked by the district session court to give space to the alleged perpetrators in their news reporting and not to involve the lawyers as their names were not included in the FIR. The journalists and some human rights activists met with Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza, the Provincial Interior Minister and Mrs. Tauqir Fatima, the Minister for Women Development, to get their support but the Ministers blamed them of using the event to go against the government and the ruling party.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the authorities demanding an impartial inquiry into the case of the gang rape of a minor and insist upon the prosecution of the perpetrators and the influential people, who are making hindrance in legal process against the rapists. Please urge the authorities to provide protection to the victim and her family and persist on them to take action against the Naushahro Feroze district hospital for not providing the medical report confirming the rape. Furthermore the government should provide medical treatment to the victim.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences calling for their intervention in this case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PAKISTAN: Lawyers from ruling party and their henchmen gang raped a girl to revenge a love marriage
Name of the rape victim:
1. Miss Naveeda Kalhora, 13 years old, daughter of Ghulam Hussain Kalhoro, a resident of Ratey Mohalla, Taluka Bhiria, District Naushahro Feroze, Sindh province
Name of the victim falsely charged:
2. Mr. Ghulam Hussain Kalhoro, father of the victim, resident of Ratey Mohalla, Taluka Bhiria, District Naushahro Feroze, Sindh province. He was charged with a fabricated case of abduction in retaliation to her daughter’s rape complaint.
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Abdul Karim Luhani advocate, alias Abdul Raheem Luhani
2. Mr. Abdul Salam Luhrani advocate
3. Mr. Hashim Luhrani,
4. Mr. Baig Bux, alias Baigo Luhrani
5. Mushtaq Luhrani
6. Zaman Luhrani
7. Nisar Luhrani
8. One unknown person
All are residents of Bhiria Road, Taluka Bhiria,
Naushahro Feroze road, Sindh province
Date of incident: October 26, 2010
Place of incident: Bhiria Road, district Naushahro Feroze, Sindh province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the gang rape of a 13-year old girl by the lawyers from the ruling party in Bhiria Taluka, district Naushahro Feroze, Sindh province. The Provincial Ministers are using their influence to protect the perpetrators from being prosecuted for the gang rape of a minor. The police did not operate according to the law and are under pressure from local leaders of the government and the ruling party.
I am shocked to know that the district hospital of Naushahro Feroze has conducted a medical examination of the rape victim, but refused to issue the medical report which tantamount to provide impunity to the perpetrators. Furthermore the journalists of the Naushahro Feroze district and Nawabshah were pressured from the local leadership of the ruling party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the district session court ordered them not to humiliate the perpetrators in their news coverage of the incident.
The detail about the incident is described below:
The minor girl, Miss Naveeda Kalhoro (13), is a resident of Bhiria road, Ratey mohalla, Bhiria taluka, district Naushahro Feroze, Sindh province. On October 26, 2010, she filed a First Information Report (FIR), a police document for legal process, accusing two lawyers from Peoples Lawyer Forum (PLF), a lawyer’s body of the ruling party the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), of subjecting her to gang-rape in a sugar cane field. On October 28, she recorded her statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the civil judge and the judicial magistrate of district Naushahro Feroze.
In her statement, on October 26 at 6:30 p.m. six persons, armed with firearms, rushed into her house while she was cooking. They abducted her and took her on a motor cycle to a car parked on the roadside pushing her inside. The accused persons sitting in the car were identified as lawyer Mr. Abdul Salam Luhrani, general secretary of Peoples Lawyer Forum (PLF), a lawyer’s organization of the ruling party, in the Naushahro Feroze district; and his brother lawyer Abdul Karim Luhrani, alias Abdul Raheem Lurahni; the former vice mayor of Bhiria taluka (Bhiria town). They told her that she had been abducted because a girl from the Luhrani tribe (the perpetrators tribe) had married a young man of her tribe, the Kalhoro tribe, in a love marriage. The marriage went before the civil magistrate with the help of one of Naveeda’s brothers and the perpetrators therefore wanted to take revenge on her brother to this love marriage.
Naveeda nominated the names of the alleged rapists, they are as follows: Mr. Abdul Karim alias Abdul Raheem Luhrani, Abdul Mr. Abdul Salam Ruhani, Mr. Hashim Luhrani, Mr. Baig Bux alias Baigo Luhrani, Mushtaq Luhrani, Zaman Luhrani, Nisar Luhrani and one unknown person. However, later on, the names of Abdul Salam Luhrani and Abdul Karim Luhrani were dropped by the police after a pressure of the ruling party and one member of the provincial assembly who belongs to the same area. The police are expected to have accepted huge bribes to delete their names.
Naveeda explains that she was found on a roadside by the District Superintendent of Police (SP) and Bhiria Road police party, where she was thrown in a depleted condition. She was quickly admitted to the Naushahro Feroze district hospital, a government hospital. The doctor on duty conducted a medical examination and confirmed that she had been raped by more than one person. She also gave her statement to the police at the hospital.
The accused persons were arrested, but were quickly granted interim bail because the medical report at that time was not made available. The female doctor Mamoona explained that she could not release the medical report without being cleared by the district Executive Health Officer (DEO-Health). Meanwhile, on October 31, the father of the lawyers filed a case of abduction of his daughter against Naveeda’s father. The lawyer’s father accused him of abducting his daughter, the lawyer’s sister, on October 23, three days before the gang rape of Naveeda.
The people of Bhiria Road town were agitated and continuously on protest to demand for the arrest of the perpetrators. The Deputy Superintendent of Police and of the District Investigation office has announced to the demonstrators that it will reject the case of abduction filed against Naveeda’s father because it is fabricated. The police officers claim that they are under pressure from the government and the ruling party not to arrest the perpetrators.
I am appalled to know that four journalists from prominent television channels, Mr. Qari Zulfiqar, president of the Naushahro Feroze district press club; Mr. Zahid Rajpar, Mr. Zahid Qaimkhani and Mr. Ali Mohammad Shah, were all asked by the district session court to give space to the alleged perpetrators in their news report. The journalists and some human rights activists met with Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza, the Provincial Interior Minister and Mrs. Tauqir Fatima, the Minister for Women Development to get their support but the Ministers blamed them of using the event to go against the government and ruling party.
I call on you to initiate an impartial inquiry into gang rape of a minor by the lawyers from the ruling party and their henchmen. I urged you to prosecute all the perpetrators who were identified by the victim, including those who had been deleted due to pressure by influential people from the ruling party. I also urge you protect victim and her family. The government should also provide her medical treatment.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801/9214171
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9221596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
3. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
E-mail: pppsindh@yahoo.com
4. Mr. Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +9251-9204108
Email: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
5. Mr. Muhammad Ayaz Soomro
Minister for Law, Parliamantry Affairs & Criminal Prosecution Service
Sindh Assembly Building,
Court road, Karachi, Sindh province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9211982
E-mail: secy.law@sindh.gov.pk
6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
7. Ms. Nadia Gabol
Minister for Human Rights
Government of Sindh,
Pakistan secretariat, Barrack 92,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9207044
Tel: +92 21 9207043
E-mail: lukshmil@yahoo.com
8. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
9. Inspector General of Police
Police Head office, I. I. Chundrigar road
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9212051
E-mail: ppo.sindh@sindhpolice.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
