End Jirga System to Eradicate Honor Killing

Several months ago eight women, three of them minors, were buried alive in Balochistan, reportedly by the same men. Those responsible were found to have close ties with the provincial government and to the police; and investigations into the case have gone through a Kafkan array of delays and setbacks.

In March this year, a 17-year-old girl in Sindh province was pressurized by her uncle to convince her parents to hand over acres of farm land to him. When she refused, the uncle and his accomplices brought in her father and made him watch as his daughter was mauled by a pack of dogs and then shot to death. Two months later, a Jirga was arranged in which the dead girl was posthumously declared 'Kari?that is, involved in an illicit relationship. The murderers were vindicated and a local man was forced to confess to being the illicit lover of the girl, and to pay Rs 400,000 as compensation.

To bring to your attention Sir, more than 4,000 people have died in Jirga sanctified murders over the last six years and two thirds of them have been women. Their deaths have often been caused under the most barbaric of circumstances. Many are charged with having a relationship out of marriage, an often fabricated claim, while others are suspected of planning love marriages (in opposition to the marriages planned by their families).

Pakistan needs strong crackdown on tribal jirgas and must look deep down to where the problem starts. Apart from having strong policies, Pakistan needs to put a halt on conducting tribal jirgas.

Despite jirgas being illegal many people in the parliament today have been a part of Jirga courts and a serious resolution of the issue will never be met with such men in power. Those who have conducted Jirgas should be banned from holding public office, and those already in office must be ejected. Your will is required for curbing this menace; a clear signal should be sent that the constitutional law of Pakistan needs to be respected.

We are signing this petition to stand united against the culture of Jirga gatherings in the country by the local community leaders and the parliamentarians as well and need your prompt consideration in putting a ban on this illegal system.