HRCP demands action against jirga holders in Shikarpur, Jacobabad

Karachi: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly demands action against those holding Jirgas in Shikarpur and Jacobabad as the Jirga are also a clear violation of the Sindh High Court’s order.

HRCP condemns the Jirgas’ decisions of giving girls in marriage to resolve disputes and criticized elected representatives and influential feudal lords for holding Jirgas in Shikarpur and Jacobabad.

According to the initial fact-finding of HRCP, on May 31, 2006, in Lucky Ghulam Shah Tahsil, Shikarpur, an advocate Agha Sanaullah Durrani heard a complaint of Imdad Sathar against his cousin Muhammad Ramzan Sathar for the recovery of his 11 buffaloes.

Ramzan failed to pay for the 11 buffaloes and finally with the consent of his father and grandfather he agreed before a Jirga to give his daughters (9 years old Heer and 1 year Karima) as compensation for 11 buffaloes.

In the presence of 7 witnesses (Ghulam Mustafa, Abdul Raheem, Ali Gohar, Qambar, Aziz, Nizam Khawand Bux and Haider), Ramzan signed on a stamp paper of Rs. 50 and promised to deliver the daughters within three days.

Through the efforts of HRCP’s activists, a court in Shikarpur issued an order against the marriage of the two minor girls.

During the last week of May 2006 another Jirga headed by PPPP-MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Tehsil Nazim Thal Akbar Banglani and Pir Bharchoondi Mian Abdul Khalique ended a decade-old feud between two rival groups by offering five minor girls (4 years old Basheeran, 7 years old Amna, 8 years old Shahzadi, 5 years old Noor Bano, 5 years old Maryam) as compensation.

HRCP believes that Jirgas are being encouraged by the Sindh government to strengthen the powers of the Sardars and Waderas and to further weaken the judicial and law enforcement systems.

HRCP reiterates its demand that clear directives be issued to the police and district administrations to prevent such gatherings, as their decisions are illegal and against the norms of human dignity.

They violate the rights of women and children, in particular. A failure to take immediate and meaningful action would result in more barbaric decisions such as those taken by jirgas in Shikarpur and Jacobabad.