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

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Histomat

Histomat: Adventures in Historical Materialism

The Forbidden Truths of all Human Political Systems

The Forbidden Truths of all Human Political Systems

Musharraf’s so-called “enlightened moderation”

• By: G M Lakho

  General Pervez Musharraf’s so-called “enlightened moderation” totally failed to erase religious bigotry, extremism and fanaticism even from paper, yes, even from paper, i.e., from the Constitution of Pakistan. In this regard, please remember the words of General Zia on the Constitution of Pakistan. Yes, the poison of religious bigotry, extremism and fanaticism is rooted in the Article 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan, wherein it is written that “Islam shall be the State Religion of Pakistan.” The first step was to root out the constitutional roots of such poison by repealing Article 2 and then enacting that Religion shall have nothing to do with the business of State; and that the Parliament shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Be that as it may, now, General Pervez Musharraf has resigned; and the point of concern is that till writing of these lines no political party sitting in the Parliament of Pakistan has deemed it fit and proper to even point out such a poison. So the conduct of the political parties sitting in the parliament is cruel and doubtful. How does the State Religion of Pakistan help to root out such poison? Even no one from Bush Government has publicly pointed out the constitutional roots of such a poison; so the question of rooting it out does not arise at all. Thus Religious Terrorism will continue to live with full force. Now, it is the time to SAY NO TO THE STATE RELIGION OF PAKISTAN. Now, it is the time to amend the Article - 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan in the befitting manner saying that religion shall have nothing to do with business of the State. If the present Parliament of Pakistan, at first, succeeds to purge that poison out of the Constitution; only then, it can be said with sure, that such act would help us to further flush it out of our society. There is no other constitutional, non-violent and peaceful way to deal with such poison.

  This comment was published on August 19, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. in The Washington Times