Flogging of daughters by Talibans in Pakistan.

Swat valley flogging video reveals harsh Taliban justice

Source: www.youtube.com

Swat Valley flogging video reveals harsh Taliban justice. A video showing a teenage girl being flogged by Taliban fighters has emerged from the Swat Valley in Pakistan. WARNING SOME PEOPLE MAY FIND THIS VIDEO UPSETTING

NOTE: The video has been removed by Youtube, but this is the link to the Guardian, which is running it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/apr/02/swat-valley-flogging

The History of Shariah in Pakistan

The History of Shariah in Pakistan

Background:

In order to understand the development of Islamic theocracy in Pakistan, we have to understand the different political forces present in pre-partition North West India. It is prudent to restrict the analysis to right wing Muslim parties as, regardless of their stance on independent Pakistan; in post partition political spectrum ring wing became the mainstream. The left wing parties (nationalist and communists alike) were pushed to margins either banned from elections or went into collective involuntary underground to escape persecution and torture of their cadre by American backed civil and military dictatorships of the elite.

Pakistani left wing consisted of Muslim cadre of communist party of India, red shirt Pashtun of Afghan and Pakistani tribal North West frontier headed by "frontier Gandhi" Ghaffar khan a close ally of MK Gandhi of India.

Muslim right wing had three distinct groups:

Unionists: this was a lose grouping of Muslim feudal elite loyal to British crown.Post partition unionists amalgamated with Muslim league. Smaller grouping of Shia, Ismaili and Ahmediya Muslims from princely states of north India were associated with ML but in later decades they formed their separate religious entities.

Muslim league: a party formed in 1906 by Muslim nobility to counter the Hindu influence of Indian national congress of Gandhi. ML changed its stance from loyalist to separate homeland for Muslims in North West of India in1940s. ML was headed by MA Jinnah a British educated and whisky drinking secular Ismaili Muslim barrister, although its worth pointing out that Jinnah was the defense counsel for a Punjabi Muslim fanatic Ailmuddin who killed the Hindu publisher Rajpal for publishing the biography of prophet Muhammad probably Jinnah wanted to use the sentiments of common Muslims for his religion-political cause of Muslim separatism in British India.

Nationalist Islamists:

These parties were different in their character from Muslim nationalist leaders in congress who advocated for a secular united India. Jamal Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) were and still are the biggest Islamist parties in Pakistan. pre-partition they advocated pan Islamic caliphate of all countries under colonial rule. Labeling Pakistan as kafiristan and Jinnah kafir azam (great infidel). Post independence they captured the main ideological ground in the name of defending Islamic identity and statehood of country of pure (Pakistan in Persian language). Abu Ala Mududi the head of Jamat Islami was a theologian and ideologue not just for Indian Muslims but had strong influence and links with Egyptian Muslim brotherhood and salafi whaabi dynasty of al-Saud in Arabia, which helped jihad financially and in manpower in later history of Pakistan and Afghanistan. JUI had and still runs the biggest network of madrasah seminaries for Taliban (student in Arabic) in Pakistan.The main patrons of JUI were Saudi Arabia Libya and Iraq.

The history of shariah in Pakistan

1947 the independence of India was stained with blood and rape of millions of refugees trying to reach Muslim Pakistan or Hindu India. Gangs of Muslim and Hindu and Sikh fanatics killed and raped their own neighbours.

1948 saw the outbreak of Kashmir war, when Jinnah frustrated by non obedience of English officers order the fanatical Pushtun tribesmen from Waziristan and Khyber to take Kashmir in the name of Islam, sadly Jinnah died of T.B without completing the Jihad. 1949 Pakistan legislative assembly amended the 1935 interim constitution to include Koran and Sunnah of prophet as the supreme law.

1951 saw the killing of the first prime minister in Rawalpindi at the hands of one of the tribesmen. Military officers, newspaper editors, communist leaders and frontier Gandhi were imprisoned and charged with treason, in order to curtail the politics of left wing. Martial law was imposed in city of Lahore after the torture of followers of Ahmadiyya (who believed in 19^th century prophet Mahdi Messiah).

1950s was a period of disenfranchising the majority province of east Bengal where left wing Hindu middle class was 15% of the population and a Muslim cleric mullah Bashahni was the head of political alliance of communists and Maoist peasants. The ruling elite was afraid of the majority. The martial law of Sandhurst educated dictator field marshal Ayub khan (the poster boy for American administrations in cold war era) banned independent newspapers and put left leaning politicians in jail and many communist sympathisers like Hasan Nasir were killed in torture cells of Lahore fort while the Islamists were free to preach and practice whatever they wanted.

Under pressure from Kennedy/Johnson administrations Ayub khan introduced reforms in family laws of Muslim personal code, making it necessary for husband to seek written permission for a second marriage from the first wife. Women could sue for divorce and family inheritance in civil courts. Family planning was allowed. US aid was used to open girl's schools in rural areas. All this infuriated the clergy.

The proverbial last nail in the coffin was the presidential election of 1965, local government councilors were supposed to vote for president Ayub khan without any serious challenge. The left and the secular parties in East and West Pakistan nominated Fatima Jinnah, a spinster elderly sister of late Jinnah, as a consensus compromise candidate because she had popular support. The mullahs declared woman candidate for presidency un-Islamic.

In referendums involving sitting military dictators, like Zia-ul-Haq in 1984 or Musharaf in 2002 and 2007, vote rigging and horse-trading of the turncoat members are used to turn a unfavourable electorate into a best possible result. There was a massive protest but, like 1984 Siachen and 1999 Kargil operations, military started a misadventure in Kashmir to divert the attention.

September 1965 war left economy in total collapse and military in ruin. American help was at hand, but economic aid, much like the 1980s afghan jihad and 9/11 war on terror package, was directed at the industrial and feudal families rather then the poor. The Poor got "low grade" Mexican Corn (Folklore still remembers as "too hard to chew"), and donkey(a symbol of stupidity) carts with American flags in their necks. These dictators (Ayub, Zia and Musharaf) and their cronies are scornfully known in street lexicon as "Ali Baba and forty thieves". Every major crisis since then (be that burning of Al Aqsa mosque, siege of Mecca by militants or satanic verses and Danish Cartoons, and 2008 releasing soon Dutch films on Islam and American novel on child bride of Muhammad) mobs charged with religious zeal always burn symbols of America (American Cultural Centres, Citi Bank, KFCs and McDonalds) in Pakistan. 1960s was a time of war in Vietnam, Socialist marches in European capitals while in American the civil rights movement was making big strides under the leadership of martin Luther king. Students, felt that they can take on the Mullahs and the Military, brought the country to a standstill.

The Great Game:

Politicians were divided on geographic/ethnic lines. Punjabis were led by charismatic Sindhi feudal Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, educated in Eton oxford and Berkeley. Bhutto had invented the slogans of Islamic socialism and food shelter and clothing for all citizens. In Bengal Mujeeb Rehman an ex socialist was leading a campaign of autonomy from the feudal/bureaucratic structures of Pakistan. Parting shot of dictators is usually an autobiography ("friends, not masters" by Ayub, "In the line of fire" by Musharaf, sadly Zia exploded before/due to "a case of exploding mangoes" ghost written by Muhammad Hanif 2008) lamenting the abortion of their "true" legacy for greater Pakistan. Election resulted in majority Bengali parliament. The Punjabi army killed and raped thousands in Bengal. In December 1971 India invaded to strike a humiliating defeat and Bangladesh declared independence. Bhutto became the leader of remaining Pakistan.

1970s saw the nationalization of industries and piece meal reforms. In 1973 Bhutto gave Pakistan its first consensus democratic constitution. compromises made with feudals and Islamists in cities (among small traders and armed student wing JI)forcibly marginalised the silent majority.

Islamisation measures initiated by Bhutto (secular, whisky loving, and playboy) were supported by Saudi Arabian king Faisal's generous visa policy for Pakistani labourers and military personnel who wanted to earn quick petro-dollars. Friday was declared weekly holiday, Sale/purchase of alcohol was banned to Muslims and restricted to Christian and Hindus via government permit only.Hotels with casinos clubs and discotheques were shut down.

The Law that declared Ahmadiyya (sect of Muslim Messiah) as non Muslims. shifted the society from socialist reforms to demand for shariah. An agitation fueled by CIA dollars and Islamist manpower destabilised Bhutto . American administration was unhappy at the deal for French nuclear reprocessing plant and feared Bhutto was making "Islamic bomb" to avenge the humiliation by India.The martial law of 1977 was a copycat of the 1973 Chilean coup by General Augusto Pinochet at the behest of USA. Bhutto was hanged in 1979 by the Islamist military dictator Zia-ul-Haq after a show trial which was termed as judicial murder ("If I am assassinated" by Z A Bhutto 1979)

Islamist General Zia unleashed state terror on politics. Hundreds of thousands of political activists, lawyers' students' leaders were imprisoned. Thousands were given Islamic punishment of flogging or hanged at the orders of military courts.1979 invasion of Afghanistan by soviet troops made Zia the most trusted ally of USA, Britain and Saudi Arabia. Billions of dollars in foreign exchange, latest military equipment and thousands of young fighters from Arab countries poured into Pakistan to fight the jihad against the evil soviet atheists.

The shariah began with the law of evidence where the testimony of two pious Muslim women was only considered equal to one male, thus declaring a woman only half a human in all matter of law. Hadood laws prescribed the Islamic justice of public flogging for consumption of Alcohol, cutting hands for robbery and most draconian of all was the stoning to death for adultery, even a victim of rape had to provide testimony of four pious male Muslim witnesses in order to prove her innocence. The case of a blind girl charged for adultery, who gave birth to "her sin" child while the rapist got Scot free due to lack of four male pious Muslim witnesses, got international publicity.

Muslims who did not pray during office hours or did not fast and anyone caught eating during the fasting of Ramadan faced prosecution. Zakat was compulsorily deducted from Muslim account holders in all banks, this created the biggest Shia demonstration Pakistan has ever seen. Shia sect refused to comply with shariah being imposed by general Zia and his Saudi mentors. Shias(20% in population) contemplated starting a civil disobedience, backing down after pressure from Shia clergy of Iranian revolution. Zia fearing a belligerent Iran and hostility from educated Shias within military and civil bureaucracy exempted Shia from zakat deduction.

Iran created the Shia militants (movement for enforcing the laws of Imam Jaffar), Saudi Arabia and Iraq responded by arming the "soldiers of companions of Mohammed", an organisation openly calling Shia as non Muslims and declaration of Sunni law in line with Saudi clergy.

While the sectarian killings continued by the two sides, Zia turned his attention to minorities (Ahmedis, Christians,Hindus) and forced them to declare their faith on identity documents and separate election system was devised for them(a bit like apartheid). Ahmedis were banned from preaching or observe Islamic rituals of sermon prayers, fasting or even greeting each other by Muslim salutation. They were ordered to remove all Muslim signage from their mosques. Anyone who did not comply with these rules suffered prison, fines and public flogging. The Ahmedi caliph and his clergy fled to London to save their lives, while militant groups turned their guns toward common ahmedi and christian who were living intermingled with rural Punjabi peasants.

The blasphemy laws with punishment of death sentence for anyone accused of belittling or ridiculing prophet Muhammad by their speech or action and anyone found to be disrespectful to Koran by improper question/speaking or disposing of papers containing Koranic verses. Police complaint by local clergy was needed as proof of guilt. Blasphemy law was used indiscriminately against ahmedis and Christians in Punjab and against Hindus and Sikhs in Sindh and frontiers to settle petty property disputes, in which the accuser walked away with war booty and the non Muslim victim stood to loose everything. Even obtaining a bail from court sometimes meant being gunned down by militants within few meters of police stations.

Individuals stood up against tyranny by committing suicide in public protest Pervaiz messiah a lowly Christian cleaner burnt himself alive while demanding democracy. Bishop John Joseph Shot himself in protest against death sentences awarded to Christian teenagers in blasphemy cases.

Lawyers, journalists, teachers and others who came out protesting against oppression, faced tear gas beatings and imprisonment and torture at the hands of police and army security forces. Civil society organizations like women action forum, Human rights commission, voice against rape and Pakistan India peoples forum for peace and democracy emerged out of the dark days of Islamic dictatorship backed shamelessly by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

Benazir, the daughter of martyr Bhutto, came back after years in jail and exile to lead several million men marches against dictatorship. In April 88 Pakistani intelligence blew up the ammunition depot storing missiles, explosives and state of the art stinger launchers, to hide the illegal sale to Iran and other bidders and to stop US military audit finding out the full extend of scam. The resulting inferno and projectiles killed nearly three thousand civilians in cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. August 88 Zia's aero plane was blown up in mysterious circumstances. Rumours circulated that Zia's Coffin contained bones of American Arnold Raphael and Brigadier Wassem of US Army.

Benazir became the first female Muslim prime minister in the world despite Saudi grand mufti Shaikh Al Baz declaring her apostate from Islam.1990s was the see saw of power politics between right wing Nawaz Sharif(political heir to Saudis and Zia) and a compromised corrupt Benazir wife of Zardari(Mr 10%) .The notorious military Intelligence was busy creating the Frankenstein monsters we now know as Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Pre 9/11 Bin Laden gave money to Sharif MPs to oust Benazir and tried General Abbasi's Islamic coup plot to establish caliphate in Pakistan. But the proto type of Global Islamism was perfected in Afghanistan with Arab manpower, money from arms and drug trade and clandestine connections in Muslim populations world over with mafia like tentacles. The rest, as they say, is history. Kashmir, Chechnya, Palestine and 9/11 New York, Iraq and London Madrid and Bali the template of terrorism was implemented by Jihadists.

Political Islam's Globalisation

Tragically, Benazir (Book "Daughter of the East" 2007) died at the hands of a suicide bomber at the same spot where in 1951 the first prime minister was gunned down. Story of political Islam has completed the full circle with history repeating itself. The gains made by civil society in the struggle for democracy and freedom of judiciary ,achieved by street protest and activism are compromised in deal making and power brokering. Saudi Arabia, UAE and USA remain the guarantors and underwriters of power whether its the corrupt current president Mr 10% Zardari or the future (president in waiting) Mr Sharif of Mecca simpleton (sorry cannot write autobiography only reads phone directories) Tableeghi (Muslim Jehovah's witness). A foreign journalist once said Pakistan Owes its existence to Allah, America and Army. The Army "greatest defender of Muslim faith and Islamic Atom bomb", behaves like the band of mercenaries from "pirates of Arabian Sea", switching sides from Islamists to Bible bashing American fundamentalists whenever the pay is right. At other times paddling their nuclear ware to rogue states like Iran Libya and North Korea.

For Jihad ,"The World is Flat"

All this is important because the disintegration of Pakistan will unleash the forces of evil, ranging from nuclear brief cases to training manuals and kits for "dirty bombs". The civil society, the free media and satellite channels, human rights activist and professional middle class, is overwhelmed by the onslaught of Islamists which can result in balkanisation of Pakistan.UK can do well by strengthening the civil society and secular political parties because one million of British citizens/residents are of Pakistani origin coming from Kashmir and north west of Pakistan.7/7 suicide bomber mastermind Mohammed siddique khan prayed at Tableeghi(Mr Nawaz sharif 's mentors) Jamat's HQ in Dewsbury. Thomas Friedman's Theory "The World is Flat", I hasten to add "World is a small place", "what you sow, so shall you reap".

The History of Shariah in Pakistan

Death is the price of Education in Pakistan

Four children killed in school wall collapse

You have heard that constant vigilance is the price of Liberty. It may be true or not. But, death is, of course, the price of education in Pakistan. How? Please read the following story published in the daily DAWN, Karachi; and see what is happening here on this land.

Four children, aged between five and nine years, were killed on Thursday when a wall of their old school building collapsed on Manora Island, witnesses said. They said four students of the F.G. Public School, three of them sons of as many brothers and the fourth one also their cousin, were having snacks during a recess under the shade of the wall of the dilapidated building when the wall collapsed with a big bang at around 11am, killing the little ones instantly. The residents said the old building of the school had been vacated some six years ago and the school was shifted to the new building constructed around 50 yards away. They said the cantonment authorities were time and again approached for the demolition of the dilapidated building, but they paid no heed to their requests. Sami Khan, a six-year-old student of the F.G. Public School, told Dawn that he was sitting very close to the wall that collapsed. “It was extremely hot today and everybody like Arbab and his cousins was looking for a shady place,” he said and added that the wall collapsed in the twinkling of an eye with a big bang, giving the victims no chance to run to safety. Five-year-old Abid Ali, who also witnessed the heart-wrenching incident, said he was sitting yards away from the wall. “I heard a deafening sound and then saw blocks and rubble where some children were having snacks a moment ago,” he added. The witnesses said that a large number of the residents of the 2.5-square-kilometre peninsula thronged the spot and retrieved the bodies of nine-year-old Arbab, son of Mohammed Shoaib, six-year-old Adnan, son of Nisar Ahmed, six-year-old Taimur, son of Zafar Ali, and five-year-old Fardeen Khan, son of Rahim. Abdul Aleem, one of the residents who reached the spot to retrieve the bodies, told Dawn that the heads of the children had been smashed under the rubble. The bodies were taken to a nearby naval hospital before they were handed over to the victims’ families. The victim Arbab’s father, Mohammed Shoaib, a worker at the KPT’s engineering department, said Adnan and Taimur were the sons of his younger brothers, and Fardeen was his daughter’s son. “I rushed to the spot and learned that the bodies had been shifted to the hospital,” he said in a voice choking with grief. “They did not let me see the children at hospital until I protested. The children’s heads were smashed and their faces disfigured,” he said. “Arbab did not want to go to school today as he wanted to play a new video game that I had bought him only yesterday,” the grieving father said with tears rolling down his cheeks. He said the boy went to school without his uniform and joined his cousins during the recess as usual. “Who is responsible for the killing of our innocent children?” he cried and demanded that the responsible people must be brought to book to avoid such accidents in future. Nisar Ahmed, victim Adnan’s father, said the entire building was dangerously dilapidated and any portion could have fallen down anytime. “But the condition of the collapsed wall was particularly dangerous and we had asked the school administration to get the building demolished as soon as possible,” he added. The victim’s father, who runs a small eatery on the peninsula, said Adnan wan the eldest among his four children. “The fatal accident could have been averted had this building been demolished. But nobody can avert the decree of fate,” a comparatively composed man said. The witnesses said the teaching staff of the school remained confined to the staff room for some time as the visibly shaken and enraged people surrounded the school building. However, they said, the people later dispersed peacefully when the elders of the area intervened and convinced them that the school administration was not responsible for the demolition of the worn-out building. Shahid Rana, a resident, told Dawn that the peninsula was replete with dilapidated structures, adding that any of them could collapse any time. He pointed to an overhead water tank and said: “This tank has been declared to be dangerous enough to be demolished, but perhaps the authorities are just waiting for the moment when it will collapse itself,” he remarked. Abdul Aleem, another resident, said the roof of Ghazi Centre, a two-storey commercial-cum-residential plaza, had once collapsed, though no one was hurt in the incident. The SHO of Docks police, Inspector Nasirul Hasan, said no legal action was initiated into the matter as it was an accident.

Other related Link:

Four children killed as wall collapses in Manora school

The Killing of Qadianies in Pakistan

PAKISTAN: Two persons murdered after an anchor person proposed the widespread lynching of Ahmadi sect followers

Dear

(1) Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani,
(2) Mr. Rehman Malik,
(3) Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan,
(4) Syed Qaim Ali Shah,
(5) Chief Justice of Sindh High Court,
(6) Ms. Nadia Gabol,
(7) Secretary, CPSD
(8) Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Mirza,

PAKISTAN: Two persons murdered after an anchor person proposed the widespread lynching of Ahmadi sect followers

Details of victims:

1. Dr. Abdul Manan Siddiqui, 45 years old; shot dead in the Fazle Umer Clinic, a two-story hospital at Mirpur Khas city on September 8

2. Mr. Yousaf, 75 years old; rice trader and district chief of the Ahmadi sect; shot dead in Nawab Shah, Sindh province

Persons involved in broadcasting:

1. Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Anchor person of Alim Online, Geo Television, Karachi-Pakistan

2. The producer of Alim Online, Geo Telvision, Karachi-Pakistan

I am writing you to draw your attention to and request prompt action regarding the latest incident of Ahmadi lynchings, as urged on a popular and seemingly unregulated Pakistani television program. The Anchor person, also former federal minister for religious affairs suggested that the followers be killed as punishment for their religious views.

According to the information that I have received, Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain declared the murder of Ahmadi sect members to be necessary (Wajib ul Qatal) according to Islamic teachings, in 'Alam Online', aired on September 7, 2008. Dr. Amir repeated his instruction several times, urging fundamentalists Muslims to kill without fear.

While on air the anchor person also pressured the other two Islamic scholars (from two different sects) on the program to support the statement. This resulted in a unanimous decision among the scholars, on air during a popular television show, to urge lynching with the intent to kill. This was not a one-off. On September 9 Mr Hussain answered a query with the comment that blasphemers are liable to be put to death.

The killings On September 8 at 1:15 pm, 18 hours after the broadcast, six persons entered the Fazle Umer Clinic, a two-storey hospital at Mirpur Khas city. Two of them went to the second floor and started pressuring 45 year-old Dr. Abdul Manan Siddiqui to come downstairs to attend to a patient in crisis. Dr. Manan left his office and descended into an ambush. He was shot 11 times and died on the spot. His private guard was also shot and is in a serious condition. A woman was also injured by firing. The killers remained at the hospital until the doctor was declared dead, then they walked out of the building's front entrance. Police registered the killers as unknown.

On September 9, 48 hours after the broadcast, Mr. Yousaf, a 75 years old rice trader and district chief of the Ahmadi sect was killed on his way to prayers in Nawab Shah, Sindh province. Yousaf was fired on from people on motor bikes, and sustained three bullet wounds. He died on the way to the hospital. The assailants had taken a route past a police station. No one has been arrested.

It is the responsibility of a government to tackle religious hatred, yet in Pakistan it flourishes. That it can bloom so publicly and has results both bloody and unpunished, is an embarrassment to a country that hopes to be taken seriously outside of its borders. While religious persons can incite murder on mainstream television shows without restraint or legal consequence, a country cannot hope to be considered mature. Neither can its leaders.

In this context I demand that the government of Pakistan take immediate steps to stop further killings by other religious communities and to investigate the two cases reported above. Those responsible for the killings must be prosecuted and punished according to the law. Immediate measures to prohibit broadcasting and spreading religious hatred through the media.

I further urge you to investigate those responsible for instigating murders through media broadcast. I also demand for a genuine and humane effort to be made to reintegrate the Ahmadi community into the social fabric of Pakistan. Their civil, human and religious rights must be protected. The government must take the lead to create a space for dialogue between opposing religious communities in Pakistan there by bringing an end to religious and communal violence in the country.

Yours sincerely,

Ghulam Mustafa Lakho
Pakistan

Burying women alive in Pakistan

PAKISTAN: Five women buried alive, allegedly by the brother of a minister

1) Dear Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani,
2) Dear Mr. Rehman Malik,
3) Dear Mr. Farooq Naik,
4) Dear Nawab Aslam Raisani

PAKISTAN: Please file a case against those who allegedly buried five females including three minors and start investigation

Names of victims;

1. Ms. Fatima wife of, Umeed Ali Umrani, 45 years old
2. Ms.Jannat Bibi wife of Qaiser Khan, 38 years old
3. Ms.Fauzia daughter of Ata Mohammad Umrani 18 years and two other girls, in between 16 to 18 years of age
(All are residents of village Mir Wah, Tehseel Tumboo, District Naseerabad, Balochistan province, Pakistan)

Name of alleged perpetrators: Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani, residing at Usta Mohammad city, Jaffarabad, District, Balochistan province-Pakistan and his six accomplices
Place of incident; Village Baba Kot police station, Jafferabad, District, Pakistan

I am shocked to know that five women, including three minors, were buried alive in the remote of the Balochistan on the charges of choosing their life partners on their free will and not obeying the tribal tradition in their free choice. It is also of very grave concern for me that still the parallel judicial process is continued in the Pakistan in the name of Jirga which was banned by the higher courts of the country. Due to the powerful persons involvement the police is avoiding to register the case of killing of five women since first week of the July 2008.

According to the information that I have received, all five women were at the house of Mr. Chandio at Baba Kot village and to leave for a civil court at Usta Mohammad, district Jafarabad, so that three of the girls could marry the men of their choice. Their decision to have marriage in court was the result of several days of discussions with the elders of the tribe who refused them permission to marry. The names of two younger girls were not ascertained because of strong control of tribal leaders in the area.

As the news of their plans leaked out, Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani, a brother of the minister, came with more than six persons and abducted them at gun points. They were taken in a Land Cruiser jeep, bearing a registration number plate of the Balochistan government, to another remote area, Nau Abadi, in the vicinity of Baba Kot. After reaching the deserted area of Nau Abadi, Abdul Sattar Umrani and his six companions took the three younger women out of the jeep and beat them before allegedly opening fire with their guns. The girls were seriously injured but were still alive at that moment. Sattar Umrani and his accomplices hurled them into a wide ditch and covered them with earth and stones. The two older women were an aunt of Fauzia and the other, the mother of one of the 16 year- old-girls. When they protested and tried to stop the burial of the girls that were plainly alive the attackers were so angry that they also pushed the women into the ditch and buried them alive. After completing the burial they fired several shots into to the air so that no one would come close.

The girls were educated and were studying in classes from 10 to 12. They were punished for trying to decide about their marriages.

After one and a half months the police have still not registered the case and it is difficult to get more detailed information. The provincial minister is so powerful that police are reluctant to provide details on the murder. When human rights activists contacted Mr. Sadiq Umrani, provincial minister, he confirmed the incident by saying that only three women had been killed by unknown persons. He denied his or his brother's involvement. He went on to say that the police will not disclose any information about the case as to do so now would be implicated themselves. However, concerned officers of two different police stations have confirmed the incident and explained that no one is providing any information. Also as they could not find the graves of the victims it is difficult to register the case. The victim's family members have since left the place and their whereabouts are unknown.

It is disturbing for me that anyone could be so inhumanly cruel as to bury someone alive. Whether or not Mr. Sadiq Umrani, is involved it is an established fact that a vehicle of the provincial government was used in the incident and that is why no police officer has dared to file a case against the perpetrators.

I request you to please take immediate action in this case and investigate this case as a matter of primary so that those responsible are brought to justice.

Yours sincerely,

Ghulam Mustafa Lakho
Pakistan

Other Links

Burying women alive in Pakistan

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Histomat

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The Forbidden Truths of all Human Political Systems

The Forbidden Truths of all Human Political Systems