Two girls given in Vani
MULTAN, January 25 2006: Two adolescent girls were given to the family of a rape victim as compensation in the practice of the custom of Vani in Chak No31/10-R (Katcha Khuh), Khanewal, on the orders of a punchayat (local council). Nasim Bibi, the mother of the rape victim, told reporters that Ijaz Ahmed, son of Ameer Baloch, and Riaz, son of Manzoor, raped her 16-year-old daughter. She went to the police station to lodge a complaint, but the perpetrators belonged to influential families and they decided to resolve the matter in a punchayat, Nasim said.
The punchayat, headed by Saifullah Khan Niazi, decided that Ijaz’s sister, 8-year-old Nasim Mai, would marry the rape victim’s brother, Muhammad Ashiq, and Riaz’s sister Zareena would marry the rape victim’s uncle, Azhar, said Nasim. Zareena was sent to her “in-laws” home, but her parents later registered a kidnapping case in Katch Khuh police station. Khanewal DPO Zafar Abbas Bukhari said he was not aware of the case, “but if it is a case of Vani I will take action and arrest the nikah registrar”. Nasim Bibi threatened to commit suicide in front of Governor’s House if her grievances were not redressed. She urged the administration to ensure implementation of the punchayat’s decision or the registration of a rape case against Ijaz and Riaz and withdrawal of the kidnapping case.
Source: Daily Times
Date:1/25/2006
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