The Asian Human Rights Commission issued an Urgent Appeal, AHRC-UAC-144-2008, with regard to a young couple (Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim and Mrs. Zainab Ibrahim), who have been threatened with death because they married without the permission of their parents. Powerful persons of the tribe in question, with the support of police authorities, have already killed a prominent journalist and injured the younger brother of the bride groom who was hiding the couple. Even after three months the police have not arrested any of the killers. The couple is hiding in different places but are in serious danger as the tribal people are following them.
Over 150 persons sent their appeals via the internet and by fax to the President, prime minister, federal ministers to authorities in Sindh and Balochistan provincial governments, but as yet there has been no respond from them. After the issuance of the appeal one newspaper and a radio station, FM103 Lahore, have interviewed the couple over the telephone which has again put the lives of the couple in danger as the perpetrators following them are determined to carry out this honour killing. The tribe Sealrho, to which the couple belongs, has already decided in their Jirga, an illegal parallel judiciary, that wherever the couple is found they are liable to be killed. One telephone call, which the caller display identified as 00923343782864 was received by Mr. Muhammad Ishaq, the younger brother of Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim, on July 15, at 11.pm, threatening him with abduction and death if he does not hand over the couple to perpetrators or at least inform them of their whereabouts. Mr. Ishaq was also attacked and fired upon by the perpetrators on April 14, 2008. In the same incident a prominent journalist, Mr. Khadim Hussain, of Balochistan province was killed. Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim, the victim, was also threatened over the same phone on July 17, at 10.47 am. Mr. Ibrahim said the voice of the caller is very much similar to one of the perpetrators, Mr. Hamal Sealrho whose name is mentioned in the first information report (FIR) for the murder of the journalist. Mr. Hamal is the uncle of Ms. Zainab, the second victim. Hamal is running the affairs of the Selrho tribe in the absence of Ms. Zainabs father, Mr. Imdad Hussain Sealrho, the tribal chief.
The relatives and friends of the couple, residing in Shahdad Kot sub district, the ancestral village of the victims, are also receiving threats from perpetrators Mr. Ali Dost and Allah dad Sealrho to disclose the whereabouts of the couple. Mr. Allad Dad (Allah Bux) is a proclaimed criminal and wanted by the Shadad Kot police station in the several cases, his photograph is also pasted in the police station with a bounty amounting Rs. 500,000.
It is very likely that couple will be caught and punished in the name of honor killings (Karo Kari) if authorities in Pakistan does not provide them with protection and arrest the culprits whose names are mentioned in the FIR. The Asian Human Rights Commission urges the government of Pakistan and provinces of Sindh and Balochistan to act immediately to save the lives of couple who married on their own choice. It is the duty of the authorities to provide protection to the citizens from the centuries old customs which made the victims vulnerable before barbarian traditions. The Jirgas are common in the country as the parallel judiciary which was declared illegal by the higher courts of the Pakistan. The government should arrange such environment for the couple to live as free citizens without any fear and threat. It is blaringly clear that if any harm befalls this couple the government will the directly responsible.
