KARACHI, June 9 2006: Several civil society organisations, including the Aurat Foundation and WomenÂ’s Action Forum, have strongly condemned the decree by a jirga that the parties involved in the dispute involving karo-kari (honour killing) should exchange seven women in compensation.

In a joint press statement issued here on May 8, the organizations deplored that despite the ban imposed by the high court on jirga system, as well as the presence of a new law forbidding the trading of women in compensation (Badla-i-Sulah), the practice was going on unabated.

They appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of the holding of jirgas. They said it was duty of the state to stop this kind of condemnable customs and prevent the woman from becoming a commodity. The organisations have threatened to launch a country-wide protest if the jirga’s verdict was implemented by exchanging women in compensation.

It may be mentioned here that the a jirga was held in Village Kamal Magsi, near Thul taluka of Jacobabad district to settle case of honour killing of a youth that had taken place some five years back. The tribal elders’ jirga, presided over by an MNA, issued the decree that involved five selected virgin women and an amount of Rs735,000 being fine with the beneficiaries being the Banglani and Nandwani clans.

Eight virgin women were produced before the two clans for selection following the issuance of the decree. Amid continued protest by civil society organisations, yet another jirga was held and it ordered a defaulter to hand over two women of his family in lieu of the unpaid loan.–PPI
Source: Dawn
Date:6/9/2006