HRCP aghast at girl’s jirga-ordained murder

Lahore: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has strongly condemned the brutal killing of a 16-year old girl following a jirga’s decision to punish her for her supposed role in helping a couple find happiness together.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Commission said: “It is impossible to not be astounded by the brutality and ruthlessness of those who ordered and oversaw the callous mowing down of a young person in Donga Gali, in order to satisfy their notions of cultural proprietary. The criminal actions of the jirga must be condemned unreservedly by all those who stand for rule of law and the right to life itself.

“Such brutalities can occur only in a society that treats women as chattel, not just of the family but of the larger community.

“We have not come to this pass overnight and rulers past and present, including the current bickering lot, have a lot to answer for, not least because of their failure to confront or push back strongly enough against abhorrent crimes in the name of ‘honour’ and indeed addressing the perceptions or place of women in society.

“The arrest of the Jirga members in itself should be no ground for self-praise and HRCP certainly is not in the habit of praising anyone for doing what was their mandated duty.

“Nothing that the authorities do now can bring back the young victim, but they should at least now atone for their inaction by seeing to it that justice is done in this case and conditions that allow such incidents to take place are confronted.”