Pakistan: Nothing can be more barbaric

The call for a 'New Pakistan' is not a new one; we have heard it before. But Pakistan remains the same old Pakistan, unchanged and mired deep in the sea of obscurantism a telling sample of which was put on display on Tuesday - not very far from the precincts of the Lahore High Court. On a busy road a clutch of barbarians pounced upon a young woman, Farzana Iqbal, beating life out of her with repeated hits of broken bricks. As if bereft of humanity scores of people watched the spectacle unconcerned and detached, as none of the brave sons of Lahore gathered enough courage to intervene and save a human life. Farzana was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital because of excessive bleeding. As if this was not enough to suggest how heartless we the people of Pakistan are, it was the identity of killers that brings home the enormity of this failing. The killers included Farzana's father, her two brothers and her former fiance. In defiance of her family she had married a man of her choice earning the verdict of death in compliance with the so-called 'code of honour', enforced by the custodians of our sociocultural moorings. The murder was premeditated. The killers were waiting outside the office of her counsel who was to take her to the court to defend her husband against charge of having kidnapped her by her family members. She was required to testify whether she was kidnapped or that she had married him exercising her right of free will as an adult.

Marrying out of her own choice is a taboo in most of Pakistan, not only because the law against this is inadequate, it is there because the so-called elders of society want this curse to stay and flourish. Remember, how barbarically two girls in Shikarpur, Sindh, were accused of 'karo-kari' and murdered as dictated by a Jirga presided by a powerful feudal lord. Such inquisitional 'courts' exist all over the country, and function with absolute impunity from the prevalent legal system, as its proponents are quite often part of the political elite and cannot be denied the liberty they enjoy in terms of licence to play with the lives of ordinary people in their areas. Except for the expulsion of late Senator Ajmal Khattak from Awami National Party (ANP) by the party leadership - during a discussion in the house on a high-profile murder case he had condoned the crime saying it was called for by Pushtun culture - no other political party in Pakistan has moved against known offenders in its ranks. How despicable indeed, instead of political leaderships setting an example, it is the higher judiciary that takes cognisance of media-reported incidents of honour-killings and initiates suo motu proceedings.

All of this should change if we are really committed to build a 'New Pakistan'. And for that not only the general masses have to be educated by highlighting the cruelty that honour-killings precipitate and for that to happen there have to be some concrete legal and administrative reforms. Most critical is the degree of access to the court of law that is quite restricted presently. Then there is the need to evolve standardised format for registering First Information Report (FIR) in cases of honour-killings. Ironically, very often those convicted on charge of honour-killing walk free soon enough, because according to the law the victim's family can forgive the killer. As a general practice the victim's family would commit the murder, then nominate someone of its choice and thereafter forgive for whatever consideration. And so the curse of honour-killings remains alive. In Pakistan, no less than 1000 women are killed every year by their families, says the Aurat Foundation. The actual figure may be much more given that the foundation compiles only the figures based on reports in the newspapers. This is a huge human tragedy. No decent people can countenance such a barbaric custom, a challenge for all, irrespective of their desire to live in old Pakistan or 'New Pakistan'.