‘Pakistan and UK cooperating to eliminate honour killing’
KARACHI, August 24 2005: Pakistan and the United Kingdom have excellent relationship and both the countries are interacting to eliminate the so-called honour killing of women in Pakistan.
Hamish Daniel, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, Karachi, stated this, while speaking at a seminar on “Honour killing of women: The investigation techniques” at a local hotel here on Tuesday August 23.
The seminar was organised by the Sindh police in collaboration with Northamptonshire Police Department, United Kingdom and British Council, Karachi. Daniel advised the people of Pakistan and the UK to learn from each other’s experience to curb lawlessness and crimes against humanity.
He said that an international conference on honour killings would be held in Karachi in a few months. He observed that the security situation in Karachi was perfect and saw no reason why the England cricket team would not play a test match here.
He accepted the fact that misinformation was rife in both the UK and Pakistani media. He said that the British Muslims of Pakistani origin were mostly law-abiding citizens and he foresaw no threat coming from them. Some who took part in the recent London bombings were British citizens, born and bred in the UK and Pakistan had nothing to do with it.
He informed the audience that some Pakistani police officers went to the UK on scholarships to learn latest anti-terror techniques. He admitted that even crime against British women of South Asian origin was committed in the form of forced marriages.
Sindh IGP Asad Jehangir said that the honour killings of women with different names were in vogue in different parts of the world for a long time. The West has the misconception that it is associated with Islam. He firmly denied it, saying it was cultural and tribal tradition.
He said that over 1,000 women become victims to the infamous Karo-kari tradition. Motive of the killings, according to him, was property, debt, superstition and suspicion about the fidelity of the women. Karo-kari was not a new phenomenon in Pakistan’s rural areas, he said. It is actually rediscovered, he added.
Jehangir enlightened the audience about the 1994 United Nations law against the crimes against women and children. This contains domestic violence, sexual abuse, forced marriages, pedophilia, etc. Most women face violence at least once in their lifetime, he said.
He was confident that the Karo-kari and other violence against women could only be eliminated with the combined effort of police, NGOs, media and civil societies.
He said that the Sindh police had established a cell in the special branch to deal with the crime against women and children that also includes their trafficking.
Nayyer Haider, Sindh Additional IGP, Sindh, talked about the “Police and role of civil society” and elaborated their roles in a healthy society.
He said the general concept about the police and civil society is that they are antagonists. It was not true, as the main players in society were the state, police and civil society. If anyone of this trio fails the fine fabric is broken. Chaotic state prevails and law and order situation deteriorates.
He thought the state had the power and police obeys so lack of good governance could be the reason for police shortcomings.
Inam Khan and Larry Ennis of Northamptonshire police, who are training their Pakistani counterparts in crime investigation against honour killings in Pakistan, also spoke on the occasion.
They described the community policing in their part of the world. They informed the audience about the friendly interaction between the police and the community members. This could be done in Pakistan for better results, they concluded. Earlier Marcus Gilbert, Director of British Council, Karachi, welcomed the participants to the seminar.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:8/24/2005
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