Daily Times

Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries for women where in the name of preserving some of the cruel, archaic and old-fashioned counterfeit social values and cultural norms deeply rooted in this patriarchal society, women’s fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution such as right to life, liberty, security, and dignity are frequently violated with no qualm and fear of punishment. The incidents of brutal killings of women have reached epidemic proportions in the country. Shockingly, Pakistan has yet done very little to prevent the violations.

The iniquitous and vile act of killing women in the name of so-called honour violates Article 9 of the Constitution which provides that no person will be deprived of life or liberty except in accordance with law. The article declares that no person has any right to deprive any person of his right to life.  However, no decline has been seen in the violation of the right.

On Tuesday15 May 2018, in the name of so-called honour, a 45 year-old woman named Zulekhan, her 26-year-old divorcee daughter Farzana, and her grandsons Kashif (8), and Sajid (6), were barbarously slaughtered in their house situated at Shikarpur Police headquarters after they returned from annual function held by a private school in Shikarpur city. The women were murdered for attending the function. The killers blamed that they were women of immoral and indecent character. The heartbreaking news of the killings spread immediately that sent shockwaves across the city. But the district police were not only ignorant of the incident but were also reluctant to register FIR of the murders.

On May 15, 2018, a 45 year-old woman named Zulekhan, her 26-year-old divorcee daughter Farzana, and her grandsons Kashif and Sajid, were barbarically slaughtered in their house situated at Shikarpur Police headquarters. The family had returned from an annual function held by a private school in Shikarpur city. The women were murdered for attending the function. The killers alleged that tthey were immoral and indecent women

The deceased woman’s husband Ali Nawaz Manganhar, a police constable, with his tearing eyes, told that his real brothers ASI Muhammad Nawaz and Police-constable Shah Nawaz, with the help of their accomplices forcibly entered his house and locked him up and beat him severely.

They repeatedly asked, why you allowed your wife and daughter to attend a school function. After some moments, as his wife and daughter along with his grandsons entered the house, the cruel persons killed all of them hitting iron rods and knives in front of him. Then, they chopped the dead bodies with large knives brutally and stuffed the bodies into gunnysacks. Next day at about 5am, they took away the gunnysacks. He further said that he heard death throes of his family that tore his heart out as they cried for help.

On early Wednesday morning, Ali Nawaz reached the New Faujdari police station situated within the premises of the police headquarter and only 100 meters away from the scene of the crime to get FIR of the killings lodged, but the police refused to register the case. The SSP Shikarpur said, “No murder incident has occurred in the police headquarter.

In Pakistan, law enforcement agencies, especially the police, face various challenges in investigating rape, murder and honour killings, because of the involvement or interference of powerful and influential people

Ali Nawaz is trying to destroy the good reputation of the police by giving false and baseless statements, and within no time we will prove that the complainant’s statement is wrong.” Surprisingly, after two days, on early Thursday morning, the bodies were found buried in Muhammad Nawaz’s house located behind Madani Madressah — 500 meters away from the police headquarters after the stray dogs scented the stink of rotting flesh of the bodies. The FIR was lodged against the 14 suspects, five of whom were arrested.

The killings area serious blot on the police’s reputation and a substantial question mark on their performance and security system. The suspected killers assassinated four innocent humans, cut their bodies into pieces with no fear within the premises of the police headquarters and took away the gunny sacks conveniently, but the police remained unaware of the ghastly incident. The situation makes it clear that in Pakistan even police headquarters lack security system. If the families of police officials in the police headquarters are not secure, then how the police can ensure security to people?

Though five of the butchers have been arrested, the police and courts would not be able to dispense justice to the victim party because some inevitable hurdles would be created in the case.

Regrettably, in Pakistan, the law enforcement agencies, especially police, face various challenges in investigating rape, murder and honour killing crimes because of the involvement or interference of the powerful and influential people. Moreover, complainants experience social, political and feudal pressures and threats to withdraw cases or change statements. Undoubtedly, the case will face the same challenges and the killers will escape punishment.

To stop women’s rights violation, proper investigation of the violations and stringent punishments to the perpetrators are to be ensured. If complainants withdraw their cases under the pressures and threats, the state is required to continue to prosecute these cases against the criminals as criminal conduct violates the laws of the state.

The writer is an academic, and can be reached on Twitter @ARShykh

Published in Daily Times, June 15^th 2018.