PILER demands arrest of Samaro DSP for alleged rape of Dalit woman
KARACHI: The Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) and Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network (PDSN) have condemned the rape of a scheduled caste or Dalit woman in Samaro Taluka, Umerkot district by DSP Samaro Sher Khan Rind.
In a joint statement issued here on Friday, PILER Joint Director Zulfiqar Shah and PDSN Coordinator Malji Kohi condemned the inhuman behavior of the police with the citizens and demanded the government and Inspector General Sindh Police to immediately take action against the accused police officer.
They said the police officer Sher Khan Rind had allegedly raped the Dalit woman Lajo Kolhi in village Daro Mori in Samaro Taluka. The accused came in a police mobile van along with his colleagues and picked up the victim from her house and allegedly raped her in his personal bungalow, the family said.
Now the accused is trying to save his skin and blaming the victim’s family for selling narcotics in the area. Everyone in the area knows the character of the accused police officer and his adverse attitude with the citizens and the allegation on the victim’s family are tantamount to harassing the poor family of the scheduled caste. Lajo and her husband belong to the marginalised and poor farmer’s families who earn their daily livelihood by doing agricultural labour. “We strongly condemn the violent and cruel act of the DSP Samaro, Sher Kan Rind and demand of IG, the Government of Sindh, the Home Department and the Sindh Chief Minister to immediately issue the arrest orders of the accused police officer to bring him to the justice,” the statement says. They also appealed to Chief Justice of Sindh High Court to take suo moto action and order judicial inquiry into the incident.
This cruel act is in violation of the Constitution of Pakistan, which protects the rights of all citizens including the non-Muslims and treats them as equal citizens of Pakistan. The state law enforcement agencies are responsible to save lives and properties of the citizens, but unfortunately some element in police are misusing their powers. Police has completely failed to provide security to citizens especially the non-Muslims communities in Pakistan. “We also demand the Sindh Home Minister to ensure safety and security of non-Muslim community, particularly Schedule Castes in Sindh province.
About 94 percent of Hindus are living in Sindh province and overwhelming majority of them are schedule casts or Dalits. These communities are treated as seconded class citizen in the social fabric of Pakistan. Being low caste Hindus, socially they are kept segregated and doors of education and other basic facilities are closed for these communities. Major portion of Dalit is associated with agriculture sector and live in abject poverty. They are denied of fundamental rights such as education, health, employment and shelters in rural areas. They are the most vulnerable part of society. They always face religious and social discriminations because of their social status.
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