50 women, 28 men fall victim to karo-kari across Sindh in six months – Pakistan

KARACHI: In the midst of so many challenges faced by law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system, murders in the name of the so-called honor or killings of karo-kari, mainly in rural Sindh, continue incessantly. Since more than 70 people have lost During their first six months of the current year, it emerged on Sunday.

However, investigations into most of these cases are inconclusive and do not bring anyone to justice, but have allowed the acquittal of some suspects.

Official figures suggested that some 78 people were killed from January to June 2019 in different parts of Sindh on behalf of karo-kari, which led to the registration of 65 cases. However, more than 90 percent of the cases were pending trial due to different reasons and, in most cases, the police investigation had not reached a conclusion.

A total of 65 cases were registered, but no one was convicted of murder on behalf of the so-called honor

"Among 78 victims, 50 were women and 28 men," said a source who cited the data. “A total of 65 FIRs have been registered in different parts of Sindh for honor killings and charge sheets in 60 archived cases. 57 cases are still pending without conviction in any case. However, three people have been acquitted during the process. In most cases, the suspects are close relatives of the victims. "

Concern in the police hierarchy about the status of investigations into cases of honor killings echoed at a recent meeting chaired by police inspector general Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam, who last month reviewed the progress made by police in Your tasks related to Karo-Kari.

IGP seeks detailed report

The Sindh IG had asked investigators to prepare a detailed case-by-case report on the release and conviction in cases of honor killings throughout the province.

He also ordered interested officials to ensure that there was no gap in the investigations and that the same be properly pursued before the courts.

At the same meeting, DIG-Sukkur was asked to take into account all interested parties and with its consultation a proposal was developed to help put an end to the threat of karo-kari.

Despite being heavily criticized by authorities and human rights organizations, the appalling trend, generally referred to as part of the rural system, continues unabated. However, it is difficult for the police to investigate such murders effectively, since the aggrieved and accused parties generally belong to the same family or tribe.

"Murder for honor is a social problem and has its roots in tribal culture and a mentality where women are seen as subordinate to men," said Abdul Khaliq Shaikh of the DIG headquarters.

DIG Shaikh has been at the forefront of the recently established human rights cell of the Sindh police that functions as a supervisory body responsible for focusing and emphasizing the protection of human rights while primarily dealing with cases belonging to vulnerable communities that include women , children, minorities and transgender.

“A long-term solution lies in changing this mentality and empowering women in society in general. Regarding the criminal justice response, the police department has taken several useful initiatives to address the threat of murder on behalf of the so-called honor, which included the implementation of a project on prevention of honor killings in collaboration with the UNDP and training The module for police officers has been developed to sensitize them, ”he added.

He said that a centralized human rights cell had been established at the Central Police Office (CPO) to monitor such incidents or cases and that the IGP had conducted an investigation study conducted by senior police officers to assess the response of the police and identify ways and means to improve police handling of cases.

"However, there is a need for greater coordination between the prosecution, the police and the judiciary, since prosecutors and judges must be trained to understand the peculiarities of murder cases where the motive is [so-called] honor, "said DIG Shaikh.

Call to reform the criminal justice system

However, both human rights organizations and legislators believe that, apart from the failure of the investigation and the attitude of the families involved, the police approach to cases of "honor killings" and the general justice system criminal need reforms.

They call for greater reforms in the laws and bring the guilty to justice instead of blaming the culture for the brutal trend.

"First, all crimes must be treated equally, if it is a murder, then it is a murder," said PPP leader Dr. Nafisa Shah, who has a PhD in social and cultural anthropology from the University of Oxford .

Ms. Shah's 2017 book, Honor Unmasked, offers a rich detailed ethnography of honor killings, sowing how the state and the justice system and informal reparation processes are mutually involved in providing a space for violence related to the honor.

"When it comes to laws related to this issue, it is unfortunate that these laws are quite vague. They need to be reformed. We witnessed some legal changes first during General Musharraf's government and then during Nawaz Sharif's last government. But you need to address all criminal justice and you can't blame culture or the trend just for an excuse. "

She said the changes made in the laws during two different governments to address the threat of honor killings should be considered effective if there were a decrease in the number of such cases, but this could only be called a step forward, not a solution.

"Since all cases fall into the domain of the law, we have to look at the perspective of the law," said Dr. Shah. “We need to see how these cases are handled. Whatever the changes made in the law, I think all these were partial changes. We need to look at and reform the criminal justice system to obtain better and more effective results. ”

Posted in Dawn, September 30, 2019