PAKISTAN: A 45-year-old lady and a 25-year-old man killed on the pretext of honour killing

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned with the killings of Ms. Malookan (45 years old) and Mr. Ali Dost, alias Moran Jakhrani (25 years old) in Kandhkot town, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province on 5 February 2004. They were allegedly shot dead by Bhooro Subzoai, a nephew of Ms. Malookan’s husband, along with another man named Asghar on the pretext of honour killings. The police have not taken any serious action to arrest the perpetrators although they are already identified. 

In Pakistan, several hundreds of women and girls have been killed having or suspected of having any kind of relations with males or for refusing to abide by their parents’ choice of husbands every year, although it is illegal according to national laws. AHRC notes with grave concern that these killings are a serious human rights violation against women. Please send a letter to the local authorities requesting them to take appropriate action for this case and to stop such inhuman and illegal killings against women. 

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

Name of the victims: Ms. Malookan (45) wife of Mithal Subzoai, a house wife and Mr. Ali Dost alias Moran Jakhrani (25)
Name of the alleged perpetrators: Bhooro Subzoai (a nephew of Ms. Malookan’s husband), Asghar 
Date of incident: 5 February 2004 
Place on incident: Gulsher Street, Kandhkot town, District Jacobabad, Province Sindh, Pakistan 

Case Details: 

Ms. Malookan and Mr. Ali Dost were allegedly killed by Bhooro Subzoai, a nephew of Ms. Malookan ‘s husband, along with another accomplice named Asghar with a gun. It is alleged that Bhooro Subzoai had suspected his aunt (Ms. Malookan) had illegal sexual relations with Mr. Ali Dost. 

According to the information I have received, in the morning of 5 February 2004, Mr. Bhooro Subzoai came to Ms. Malookan ‘s home with Asghar and shot her, as she was working at home at that time. After that they both went outside and killed Mr. Ali Dost Jakhrani, who lived in the same street. After the incident the police sent the bodies of the victims to Kandhkot Hospital for an autopsy. 

After the autopsy the two separate First Investigation Reports (FIRs) were lodged at A-Section Police Station Kandhkot, against ten culprits although the above mentioned two culprits were identified in both FIRS. The one FIR, Crime No. 14/04 Section 302, was lodged by Mr. Sanwal Subzoai, the father of Ms. Malookan against five persons; Bhooro Subzoai, Asghar, Zulfiqar,Sijawal and Khan Mohammad. 

Meanwhile, the other FIR, Crime No. 15/04 Section 302, was lodged by Mr. Abdul Karim Jakhrani, brother of Mr. Ali Dost against five persons; Bhooro Subzoai, Asghar, Malook, and two unknown persons. He has stated that his brother was killed under the false blame of honour killing and insisted on his innocence. There was no evidence of illegal relations between Ms. Malookan and Mr. Ali Dost.

According to Ms. Malookan’s father, Bhooro Subzoai had killed one of his nephews a year ago and furthermore had forbidden him to meet his daughter who was married with Bhooro’s uncle. However, he still went to meet his daughter on Eid (a religious feast of Muslims like Christmas and Easter) on 2 February 2004 and Bhooro Subzoai killed both the victims out of anger. He insisted his daughter’s innocence and said that Bhooro killed her under the pretext of honour killing. Although the two separate FIRs have been lodged, the police have not taken any serious action yet to arrest the two culprits. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The practice of honour killings continues to occur with alarming frequency in Pakistan. These killings often occur on the pretext of maintaining honour. The male relatives who commit the murders are rarely prosecuted in traditional communities. It 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 rural landlords provide maximum shelter to the killers. And the decisions of such cases are taken by the landlords (tribal court) rather than by the courts of law. In their decisions they impose heavy fines to the accused male. Therefore, it is difficult for the victims of this case to expect fair trials and justice. 

In September 2003, a human rights organization in Pakistan has reported that at least 631 women and six girls died in “honour killings” perpetrated by their own relatives in Pakistan in the first eight months of 2003. These figures was based on newspaper reports and were not believed to include all of such killings. The actual number of honor killings is definitely much higher than the reported cases. The report found that husbands were responsible for 247 of the killings, brothers 112, fathers 54, sons 25 and uncles two. 

SUGGESTED ACTION: 
Please send a letter, fax or email to following addresses and express your concern about this serious case. 

1. General Pervez Musharraf
President 
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad 
PAKISTAN 
Fax: +92 51 922 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835 
Email: CE@pak.gov.pk

2.Hon. Mr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan
Governor Govt. of Sindh 
Governor House Karachi 
Tel: +92 21 9201201-3 
E-mail: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk

3. Mr. Sayed Kamal Shah 
Provincial Police Officer, Sindh Police 
Central Police Office Karachi 
Tel: +92 21 9212626-7 
Fax: +92 21 9212051 

4. Mr. Rahoo Khan Brohi 
Regional Police Officer 
Sukkur Region 
Airport Road Sukkur 
Tel: +92 71 30547, 30248 
Fax: +92 71 31824 

5. Syed Sultan Shah
Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights 
Tel: + 92 51 920 3464
Fax: + 92 51 9203119

6. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
OHCHR-UNOG
Palais Wilson, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND 
Fax: 41 22 917 9022

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