Another karo-kari case | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Another karo-kari case

Editorial …

The Sindh population welfare minister’s statement on the floor of the provincial assembly on Tuesday that the government would soon be introducing a bill against the practice of karo-kari is reassuring.

Such a legislation will obviously be intended to curb this brutal practice and give some sense of security to women in the province. The most recent victim has been Rozina Ujjan, a school teacher from Gambat, who fled to Karachi after being declared a kari by a tribal jirga.

Ujjan’s case proves that despite all the denials made a few months back in the Shaista Almani case, jirgas continue to hand out death sentences against women who they consider to have violated their concept of honour.

In this particular case, the jirga first declared Ujjan innocent but on pressure from her husband, went back on its earlier decision and declared her guilty. So arbitrary and pliable is jirga justice that it hardly needs evidence to pronounce a person guilty.

Despite this, the system continues to exist, particularly in the rural areas, while the district administrations look the other way. Instead of waiting to be killed by her in-laws, Ujjan fled to Karachi where she took refuge with a member of the provincial assembly.

The most encouraging aspect of this episode is that women MPAs from both sides of the house have lent support to the unfortunate woman. It is now for the government to take note and initiate action against those responsible.

It may be noted that honour killings in Pakistan registered an increase last year. In 2002, there were 290 such instances all over Pakistan. The following year this figure exceeded 300 by September.

The main reason is the indifferent attitude of the administration to prosecute the perpetrators of this crime for murder. This is precisely what the proposed law or karo-kari should provide for.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/8/2004