Woman who defied ‘kari’ death wants to join police | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Woman who defied ‘kari’ death wants to join police

By M.B.Kalhoro

LARKANA: A woman who was saved by people and police from being killed under the shameful label of kari (adulteress) by her husband and brothers here on Monday, says that she wants to get divorce from her husband and join the police department.

The woman, Hafeezan Bhutto, 30 and a graduate, was produced in the court of the fourth additional session judge of Larkana by police on Tuesday amid tight security.

Recording her statement, she said that she wanted to go with her sister’s husband Ghulam Shabir Bhutto because she would be killed if she went to the house of her parents.

She said that her parents had forced her to marry Hajan Bhutto, a labourer, one month ago. The court asked Ghulam Shabir to give undertaking that he would protect Ms Hafeezan and ensure that she would not be killed which he failed to do.

The judge said that he could give the undertaking on Wednesday and only then he could take the woman to her house. Till then she would remain in the Darul Aman.

The court remanded her husband Hajan Bhutto and brother Zahid Bhutto, in police custody for three days. Two other accused — Babino Bhutto and Deedar Bhutto — have not been arrested yet.

An application for dissolution marriage would be filed in the family court on Wednesday, said her lawyer Abdul Nabi Saryo. He, Ms Rubina Dhamraho and Ahmedullah Bhutto represented the woman in the court. The lawyers have been provided to her by Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro.

Earlier, Minister for Women Development Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto talked to Ms Hafeezan at the women police station through telephone and assured of assistance. She told the minister that she wanted to join police department and the minister promised to help her in this regard.

Dr Skina Gaad, the in-charge pf Women Crisis Centre, Larkana, called on Wazeeran Bhutto at the women police station and assured her of protection if the court decided to send her to the centre.

On Monday Ms Hafeezan Bhutto was being taken by husband Hajan and brother Zahid, who is a police constable, to a village with the intention of killing her, when she jumped out of the car and started screaming for help.

Police arrived at the place and local people who had gathered around her tried to save her but the two men kept dragging her by her hair towards the canal. They tried to throw her into the canal but she was saved by police and the villagers.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/14/2010