Lovebirds booked under Hudood Ordinance
MULTAN: The Makhdoom Rashid police have registered a case under the now obsolete Hudood Ordinance against a couple in violation of the newly introduced Women Protection Act (WPA) and allegedly harassed them at the behest of the bride’s influential family and local politicians. Majida Perveen, 22, of Jatt clan tied the knot with Muhammad Amin of a gypsy family on November 29, but the girl’s family got registered a rape case against the groom, his close relatives, a brother and a nephew. The couple was produced before Multan SP Investigation Shaukat Abbas and their statements were recorded on December 7. The authorities neither provided justice to the couple nor quashed the bogus FIR even after lapse of 20 days.
Police inefficiency surfaced when the couple moved a local court to seek protection from the police, but the Makhdoom Rashid SHO submitted a copy of the FIR, which revealed that a case had been registration against them under the repealed Hudood Ordinance. The couple complained that PML district president and MPA Rai Mansab Ali was pressurising the police for registering criminal cases against them and arresting them. The police despite having knowledge of their love marriage included sections 10/16, 7/79 of the revoked Hudood Ordinance and 380 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on December 5. When this scribe repeatedly contacted Makhdoom Rashid SHO Chaudhry Muhammad Akram, he disconnected the call on every attempt.
When contacted, Multan SP Investigation Shaukat Abbas first behaved as if he did not know about the matter despite recording the statements of the couple, who had been regularly meeting him since the incident. He said the police had violated the law by including the sections of the repealed law in the FIR and vowed to take stern action against the violators. “I have ordered an inquiry into the violation and appointed DSP Habib Khan as the inquiry chief,” he added. He said he had quashed at least 98 percent cases registered in violation of the WPA, but the entire process needed a thorough investigation, which was a time consuming task. He, however, said justice would be provided to the couple.
When contacted, MPA Rai Mansab Ali was not available. However, his close aids rejected his involvement in the case, saying that the MPA was one of the champions of the women rights. Muhammad Amin, 32, said he had been cultivating land on lease at Chak No 4/T for the last seven years and Majida’s family was also residing in the area. “We solemnised the nikah before the Union Council No 72 registrar, but my wife’s brother Khalil Ahmed has registered cases of kidnap, rape and theft against us,” he said. Majida said her father wanted to give her to a person, Riyast, whom she disliked due to his bad character. “After the marriage, my family registered false criminal cases against us,” she said.
She said her father had produced a bogus nikahnama in which she was married to her first cousin Tariq Ali. “I never married Tariq. I have been receiving life threats from my family,” she said, adding that she had narrated the complete story to the SP Investigation, but the police did not take action against anyone. Girl’s father Muhammad Yasin claimed that Amin and his relatives had kidnapped his daughter and she had solemnised nikah with Tariq on February 28. He ruled out the possibility of reconciliation with Amin or his family. Girl’s brother Khalil Ahmed said they were interested in giving her to Riyast. However, her father refused to recognise Riyast. Makhdoom Rashid Sub Inspector Falak Sher told the HRCP special task force members that the case was being investigated by the Multan SP Investigation. ASI Muhammad Yasin, who registered the case, said Amin had been visiting the Majida’s family for three years and had developed relations with her.
He said Amin had also been bearing the expenditures of the girl’s family, but had abandoned it after suffering a loss in business some times back. “After his (Amin) refusal to give money to the family, girl’s father Yasin announced Majida’s marriage with Riyast, which forced Amin to kidnap the girl,” he added. “At the time of case registration, the girl’s family never talked about Tariq’s nikah with Majida.” The HRCP special task force led by Rashid Rehman, Muhammad Hussain Khokhar and Rabia Sagar demanded stern action against the Makhdoom Rashid police for involving the couple in a false case and sought explanation from the Multan SP Investigation that why he was violating the law. They also demanded a probe into the PML district president’s alleged involvement in the matter.
Source: The News
Date:12/28/2006
” 
” 
” 
” 
