PAKISTAN: A 16-year-old girl is killed by her husband on the pretext of honour 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information of  yet another honour killing case in Shikarpur District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. According to the information received, a 16-year-old girl was killed by her husband and his cousins on the pretext of honour on 15 April 2005. It is reported that the perpetrator killed his wife in suspicion of having extra-marital, illicit relations with her paternal cousin.  A First Investigation Report (FIR) was logged on 16 April 2005, but no action has been taken to date.

Honour killing is an extreme form of violence against women and has claimed the lives of tens of thousands women in Pakistan. It is only with continued pressure on the Pakistan government to implement policy to prevent and punish this heinous crime that the practice may one day stop.

Your urgent action is required in relation to this specific case. Please send a letter to the local authorities and request them to conduct independent investigations into this case. If the allegations are found true, then arrests must be made against the perpetrators immediately. Please also urge the Pakistan government to take genuine steps to prevent honour killings in the future.

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

Name of the victim: Ms Marvi (16), wife of Arslah, of Shar Tribe
Perpetrators:
1. Arslah  son of Maula Bux  (22) husband of the victim
2. Ghulam Ali Alias  Golo son of Gharho
3. Shahfi Mohammad son of Miran Bux
4. Mithal  son of Miran Bux
(alleged perpetrators 2,3 and 4 are cousins of Arslah, perpetrator No.1)
Complainant: Mr. Ghulam Shabir son of Haji Sodho, father of the victim, of Shar Tribe
Date of the incident: 15 April 2005 at around 7:00 p.m.
Case reported on: 16 April 2005, 1:15 p.m. at  Khanpur Police Station ( FIR No. 34/05 under section 302,34 Pakistan Penal Code )
Place of incident: Village Ghar Panhanja, Subdivision Khanpur, District Shikarpur  Sindh Province – Pakistan .

Case Details:

On 15 April 2005, Arslah and his cousins (above-mentioned perpetrators) killed his wife Mavi (16) on the pretext of “honour”.

On the evening of 15 April 2005, Marvi was alone at home and was preparing dinner when the perpetrators entered the house and approached her.  Arslah accused her of having illicit relations with Mr Sardar (23) of Shar tribe, who was the victim’s cousin.

Arslah and his cousins Ghulam Ali Alias Golo, Shafi Mohammad and Mithal, then killed Marvi and placed her body in a burning hearth in the house. When the body was finally discovered, it was severely burnt with many scars covering it.

Meanwhile, Mr Sardar has gone into hiding out of fear for his life.

The perpetrators have since written a letter to Marvi’s parents stating that their daughter had developed illicit relations with Mr Sardar even before she was married, but that her husband had only come to know of it now. Unable to permit his wife to walk freely for her actions, Arslah stated it was better for the honour of both families to rid themselves of this blemish.

Following the lodging of a First Investigation Report (FIR No. 34/05 under sections 302, 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code) at Khanpur Police Station, the police conducted several raids. They also arrested two persons, a cousin and an uncle of Arslah, but released them on the intervention of a local landlord. Marvi’s family has challenged the case with the Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate Subdivision Kahnpur.

However, cases such as this are often disposed compoundable under the Ordinance of Qisas and Dayat. Dayat (law of compensation) and Qisas (law of retaliation) refer to the cases of bodily injury or loss of life. The punishment of the murder case is death or imprisonment by Pakistan law. But according to the Ordinance of Qisas and Dayat, if the guardian of the victim forgives the offender and the offender provides compensation to the victim’s family or guardian, the offender can be released without any punishment.

In Pakistan, the practice of honour killings appears that any action, real or fabricated, if deemed by the family as compromising their honour, may be considered a valid reason to commit murder. While illegal according to national laws and inconsistent with Islamic doctrine in both the Koran and Sharia, the lack of consistent positive action by Pakistani law enforcement agencies and the seemingly commonplace belief in the practice of honour killings, facilitate this inhuman practice.

Moreover, the decisions of such cases are frequently taken by the landlords (tribal court) rather than by the courts of law. In their decisions they impose heavy fines to the accused male and the killer receives a light penalty considering that they committed murder to protect their ‘honour.’ Even if the honour killing case goes to the legal court, the victim’s family often receives immense pressure from society to compromise with the accused according to the Ordinance of Qisas and Dayat. Therefore, it is difficult for the victims of this case to expect a fair trial or justice.

Suggested Action:

Please send a letter, fax or email to the following persons urging that the perpetrators are arrested and justice is brought to the victim’s family.

 

 

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