PAKISTAN: Persons kill their 30-year-old cousin and a visiting relative on the pretext of honor killing 

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by yet another honor killing case from Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. According to the information we received, a 30-year-old woman and her 38-year-old uncle were shot dead by members of the woman’s family on 13 March 2005. It is reported that the perpetrators killed the two victims after suspecting them of having sexual relations. A First Investigation Report (FIR) was filed on the same day of the incident, but to date no action has been taken and the perpetrators continue to walk free.

Your urgent action is required in this matter. Please send a letter to the local authorities and request them to arrest the alleged perpetrators as soon as possible. Please especially urge the Sindh State government to take genuine action to prevent honor killings in the future.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim:
1) Ms Najeeban (30), wife of Mr. Ameen, of Shar tribe, a housewife having one daughter
2) Mr. Malik Dad (38), son of Mahi Khan, of Shar tribe, maternal-uncle of the victim no. 1’s husband, married with five children
Alleged perpetrators:
1) Rustam, 2) Aitibar, 3) Gindal, 4) Ali Dino, 5) Liaqat Ali, 6) Suhbat, 7) Aziz (All the seven are sons of Punjal and the victim no. 1’s cousins, of Shar tribe), 8) Punjal
** All the eight perpetrators are residents of Rakhyal Jee Wandh Village, Garhi Yaseen Subdivision, Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan
Complainant: Mr. Jamaluddin, the victim no. 2’s brother, resident of Mahi Shar Village in Garhi Yaseen Subdivision
Witnesses: 1)             Faiz Mohammad, the victim no. 2’s uncle, 2) Hazoor Bux, the victim no. 2’s uncle

Case Details:

On 13 March 2005, the above-mentioned perpetrators killed their cousin, Ms Najeeban and her husband Ameen’s maternal uncle, Mr Malik Dad, while the former was working in her field and the latter was on his way to his own village along with one of his brothers and two uncles.

Ms Najeeban’s husband, Ameen is currently in jail under section of theft. During Ameen’s stay in jail, Mr Dad used to visit Ms Najeeban to see if she needed anything and to ensure that she was fine. The perpetrators, however, suspected that these visits were of a different nature and believed that the two were having sexual relations. Therefore, without even asking either party if their suspicions were true, they killed both of them out of anger on the pretext of honor killings.

Mr. Dad’s brother (the complainant) reported that his brother, his uncles (the witnesses), and he was returning from Ranjho Shar Village, where they had gone for personal work. When they reached Rakhayal Jee Wandh Village, which is situated between Ranjho Shar Village and Mahi Shar Village, they saw the perpetrators following them. Despite this, they paid no attention to the men. When the perpetrators reached the field of Panjal Shar, the father of the perpetrators, they called out to the complainant, his brother and the witnesses and told them to stop. When they stopped, they noticed that the perpetrators were each carrying a single-barrelled gun. The perpetrators Suhbat and Rustam asked Mr Dad what his reasons were for visiting Ms Najeeban at her house. Mr Dad replied that she was his nephew’s wife and it was his responsibility to look after his family, especially when his nephew was in jail. However, both Suhbat and Rustom refused to accept this response saying that Mr Dad had had illicit relations with Ms Najeeban. They proceeded to assault Mr Dad and when he attempted to resist their beatings, the two men shot him.

Meanwhile, Ms Najeeban was working in a nearby field. Following the shooting of Mr Dad, the perpetrators Aitibar and Gindal ran to Najeeban and shot her as well.  At this point, all of the perpetrators fled.

The complainant and the witnesses went to the aid of both victims, but it was too late – both had already died. Mr Dad had bullets lodged in his abdomen and the fingers of his left hand. Ms Najeeban had been hit in the left side of her abdomen. Then the complainant along with the witnesses went to the police so as to report the incident. A First Investigation Report (FIR), No. 19/2005 under sections 302, 148, 149 PPC (Pakistan Penal Code), was lodged at the Garhi Yaseen Police Station.

Despite this, the police are yet to arrest any of the perpetrators in this case. As far as they are concerned, they have registered the case and challenged it with the First Sessions Judge & Judicial Magistrate Garhi Yaseen, and this, they believe, is all that is required of them. When the Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Garhi Yaseen Police Station was contacted by a human rights group, he would not even comment on the case.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or email to following persons urging that the perpetrators are arrested quickly.