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The beheading of a diplomat's daughter shows how badly Pakistan is failing its women

By Sophia Saifi/Zahid Gishkori

Few cases of femicide make headlines in Pakistan, but the beheading of an ambassador's daughter promises to test the legal system activists say has repeatedly failed victims of violence and needs urgent reform.

According to a police report seen by CNN, Noor Mukadam, 27, died on July 20 after being allegedly tortured and killed by an acquaintance -- Zahir Jaffer, the 30-year-old son of an influential family and a dual Pakistan-US national.Mukadam's death may have been lost in Pakistan's crime statistics, if not for her status and Jaffer's family connections, as well as the affluent location of the killing in block F7, one of Islamabad's most exclusive neighborhoods.In the days after her death, Pakistanis demanded #JusticeforNoor on Twitter, and a GoFundMe page to raise money for her family's legal fees hit almost $50,000 before her family requested it be closed, according to a message on the site.The message suggested the family faces a long legal battle, despite claims of "strong circumstantial and forensic evidence" of Jaffer's guilt by their chief legal counsel, Shah Khawar.

Jaffer was arrested at the scene of the alleged attack and later charged with premeditated murder. His lawyer, Ansar Nawaz Mirza, said he hadn't spoken to Jaffer since the alleged attack but said his client "deserves a fair trial." Activists are using this case to renew calls for the country's Parliament to pass a law criminalizing domestic violence. Although the law -- if passed -- would only apply to the Islamabad Capital Territory, activists believe it would encourage other provinces to pass similar legislation as the capital is controlled by the country's ruling party.

After being held up in the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, the bill was sent for review to the all-male member Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the constitutional body that advises the legislature on whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Islam. The council has a poor record on domestic violence -- in 2016, it proposed its own bill to allow men to "lightly beat" their wives. Women's rights activists fear the conservative council will use its influence on the legislation to kill the bill, sending a message that violence against women in their own homes is allowed, or even condoned.

Mukadam didn't answer her phone Pictures of Mukadam shared by her friends and family with CNN show a tall, vivacious young woman, posing in the glow of fairy lights and shimmying for gifs. Another photograph shows her with strings of jasmine in her hair, clutching a tiny dog to her chest, her long wavy hair askew. Her friend and feminist activist Zahra Haider told CNN that Mukadam "was the kind of girl who went the extra mile for her loved ones" who liked going for drives to pick up fast food and "dancing on the roof in the rain." She was born in Jordan, said her father, Shaukhat Mukadam, a distinguished Pakistani diplomat and former envoy to South Korea and Ireland. He told CNN his daughter was an artistic, soft-hearted girl who "loved animals and making her family laugh." According to the police report he filed on the night of her death, Shaukhat Mukadam said he and his wife were in different parts of the city on July 19, shopping and running errands ahead of the Eid holiday. They returned to the family home, where their daughter lived, around sunset, to find she had not returned to the house.

They tried to phone her, but her mobile phone was switched off, so they began searching for her with the assistance of her friends, according to the report. That night, Noor Mukadam called her parents saying that she would be traveling with friends to Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city, and they shouldn't worry. They didn't hear from her again, according to the police report. The next afternoon, on July 20, the Mukadams received an unexpected phone call from Zahir Jaffer stating that Noor was not with him. Hours later, police phoned her father to tell him Noor Mukadam had been killed, and he should report to the police station. He was then taken to the Jaffer family residence to identify his daughter's body.

Police have not speculated on a motive for the alleged murder. Jaffer and Mukadam, and their families, were known to each other, according to the police report. Police are not commenting publicly beyond the police report.

Jaffer's parents, Asmat Adamjee Jaffer and Zakir Jaffer, the director of Ahmed Jaffer & Company (Pvt) Ltd, one of the oldest family-run trading and project management companies in the country, were also arrested on charges of concealing evidence and abetment, according to the police report. Both had their bail pleas rejected Thursday as information provided to the judge suggested both made the "utmost efforts" to remove evidence of the alleged murder, according to a court judgment seen by CNN. In a statement to CNN, Rizwan Abbasi, the lawyer for both parents, said his clients had publicly condemned the murder. "We stand with the affected party (and) we don't stand with our son," the statement said. A statement on the company's website condemned the incident, and said "what cannot be disassociated is our family link to the tragedy, which is undeniable but we request you not judge us all by the horrific actions of one."

Pakistan's proposed new domestic violence law Mukadam's death has drawn attention to the plight of women and girls in Pakistan, where violence against them is considered a "serious problem," according to a 2020 country report from Human Rights Watch.Around 28% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, Pakistan's Ministry of Human Rights said, citing the country's Demographic and Health Survey from 2017-2018.Often, violence occurs within marriage and goes unreported, because it is considered a cultural norm in Pakistan's patriarchal society, according to a World Health Organization review of literature on domestic violence in Pakistan from 2008 to 2018.Campaigners say it's not just societal norms that stop women from reporting abuse -- the legal system is stacked against them.Lawyer and women's rights campaigner Sahar Bandial said Pakistan's criminal justice system sees domestic violence offenses as a "private matter" between couples and families.

There is no national law, though some provinces have their own legislation. Sindh and Balochistan provinces, for example, outlaw domestic violence including physical, emotional, economic and verbal abuse. If convicted, offenders could face a prison term and be ordered to pay compensation to the victim. Punjab also has domestic violence legislation, though no criminal penalties. "The entire process leaves victims retraumatized. There needs to be structural reform." Nighat Dad

Founder of Digital Rights Foundation In other parts of Pakistan, women have no recourse. Nighat Dad, a Pakistani lawyer and founder of Digital Rights Foundation, said criminalizing domestic violence would force the country to confront some difficult truths."People are much more comfortable with the concept of stranger violence because it externalizes the threat," she said. "The criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul in order to be women and survivor-centric."Currently, from top to bottom the system is geared towards discouraging survivors from reporting and pursuing cases," she said. "The entire process leaves victims retraumatized. There needs to be structural reform." What the new bill proposes The Pakistan Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill calls for offenders to be fined or imprisoned for abusing women, children or vulnerable people.It was passed in the National Assembly, the lower house of the country's Parliament, on April 19. However, its progress through the Senate stalled when opposition members succeeded by one vote to refer the bill to the Senate Committee on Human Rights for further review. It was ultimately passed by the Senate on June 21 and progressed to the next step, presidential assent, for final approval. However, in early July, the adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs, Babar Awan, wrote a letter to the speaker of Parliament, seeking a review of the bill by the Islamic Council.In the leaked letter, Awan stated "the bill contravenes the Islamic (injunctions) and way of life as enshrined in responsibility of the state."

It's not clear when the Islamic Council will respond.

Ghulam Dastagheer, the council's chief research officer, told CNN it hadn't received the bill from the office of the speaker of Parliament. "It's only when we officially receive the paperwork that we can start assessing it," he added. The proposed national bill has become a lightning rod for feminists who claim its delay is a classic example of how legislation regarding violence against women is treated in the country. Asma Khawar Khawaja, a human rights lawyer based in Sialkot, told CNN the wave of cases of violence against women in the country was like "standing next to a tsunami".

Digital Rights Foundation founder Dad said it "was disappointing" to see Prime Minister Khan refer the matter to the Islamic Council, a move she said points towards "a lack of political will at the very top" to bring about change, since it is not common for bills to be referred to the body. It took Khan 12 days to comment on Noor's killing, a delay some are interpreting as a sign that he is bowing to more conservative elements of his party -- and the country. Last Sunday, in a televised town hall, Khan called Mukadam's death a "tragedy." "I have been following all developments of the case closely, and no one will escape justice," he said.

Pakistan "cannot afford more Noors"

In the days after Mukadam's killing, her hometown gathered to protest and hold a vigil in her memory. A sea of white candles was lit, surrounded by portraits of her smiling face and bouquets of roses.Since then, there have been protests in cities across the world, including Dublin, Los Angeles, New York, London and Toronto, in the memory of Noor and against femicide in Pakistan.The crime dominated conversation on Soul Sisters Pakistan, a closed Facebook group with almost 300,000 members that provides a safe digital space for Pakistani women.Kanwal Ahmed, the group's founder, said women had been expressing their fear "because of the helplessness of the victim's family, the lack of attention by the leadership and there being the potential of no accountability," which she called "terrifying."

However, the outpouring of grief provoked backlash within the country.

On Monday, a mural of Mukadam at a vigil in the city of Sialkot was defaced with black paint, and in the city of Faisalabad on Sunday, local authorities refused to allow a protest led by female activists, a situation Amnesty International said was of "serious concern." Rafia Zakaria, a feminist author and columnist for Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, said what we're seeing is a moment of "reckoning" as people realize "these are the last stands of this sort of patriarchy.""The country cannot afford more Noors. There is a sense of collective trauma, and the only deliverance is a kind of catharsis that we can't do this anymore," she said.

Noor Mukadam's older sister, Sara Mukadam, said her younger sibling was a "beautiful person" who wanted to change the world. "She was here to change the world, she always talked about it. Her being my younger sister, I would brush her off and say, 'What do you mean, you want to do something'?"

She and others now hope Mukadam's death will lead to change -- and create enough impetus for stronger laws to protect women against violence. "Her sacrifice will change the world and women will fights for their rights because of Noor. We will miss her forever," she said. Shaukhat Mukadam said his family wants justice.

"It's not just the murder of my daughter. We have to have justice because (there are) implications ... for all Pakistani people's daughters."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/asia/pakistan-noor-mukadam-murder-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Pakistan replaces its Belt and Road chief with Beijing favorite

ADNAN AAMIR

Removal of retired army general from top position stirs debate among businesses. Pakistan has replaced the head of its Belt and Road projects with an energy expert who is a favorite of Beijing in a bid to push the stalled projects forward, providing observers with another anecdote of China appearing to manage the infrastructure plan from behind the scenes.

Pakistan's government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Aug. 3 appointed Khalid Mansoor to the country's top position responsible for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -- the $50 billion local component of Beijing's Belt and Road Infrastructure plan -- replacing Asim Saleem Bajwa, a retired army general.Bajwa had been chairman of the CPEC authority since November 2019. As he takes over, Mansoor's title will now be 'Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs.'

Mansoor, with a career spanning 32 years, has worked at top management positions in many energy-related companies including Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and Hub Power Company Limited, the latter of which has been involved in CPEC projects.

"[Khalid Mansoor's] vast corporate experience, with extensive work with Chinese companies and his direct involvement in leading some of the biggest CPEC projects, makes him an ideal person to lead the next phase of CPEC," Asad Umar, Pakistan's planning minister, said in a tweet.

An official working with the government told Nikkei Asia that Bajwa had developed a good working relationship with China. Still, Beijing wanted someone in the job who was more familiar with Chinese companies and working culture. "Khalid Mansoor, who has worked with many Chinese companies including directly leading CPEC projects, fits the bill as China's favorite man for the job," the official said.

Experts have linked the change of Pakistan's CPEC chief with Beijing's displeasure at the slow progress of CPEC projects in the country. Since Bajwa assumed office as CPEC authority chairman, there had been no meetings of the Joint Coordination Committee, the apex body jointly chaired by Pakistan and China to make decisions about CPEC projects. With the new CPEC head in office, the 10th JCC is expected to be convened soon.

For several experts, this move is another example of China getting the upper hand in the CPEC and dictating terms to Pakistan. This follows an incident last month, when nine Chinese engineers were killed in a bomb attack on a convoy transporting Chinese personnel to the Dasu Hydropower project in Pakistan's Kohistan district.

"CPEC has undoubtedly gone through a difficult period in the last few years but with the deaths of Chinese workers in the Dasu attack, and anxieties around the situation in Afghanistan, the whole [CPEC] venture has come under even closer scrutiny from Beijing," said Andrew Small, a senior trans-Atlantic fellow with the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund. The security situation in Afghanistan, which borders Pakistan and China, is deteriorating in the wake of the U.S. military withdrawal. He further added that the change of Pakistan's top CPEC man is possibly meant to restore the confidence of the Chinese side on CPEC.

In late July, it was revealed in a meeting that five CPEC energy projects, totaling 3,600 megawatts of generation capacity, are facing delays due to technical reasons. Energy projects are the single largest component of CPEC. The appointment of Mansoor, a man with decades of experience in this sector, is therefore seen as an attempt to accerelate these projects.

However, certain members of Pakistan's business community are not happy with the replacement of Bajwa with Mansoor.

"Asim Bajwa was doing a great job with CPEC and developed a strong grip on the matter and removing him from the job is not in the interests of CPEC," Daroo Khan Achakzai, a former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries, told Nikkei. He added that the decision to appoint Mansoor was made without taking "any long-term political or economic considerations" into account.

Achakzai further said that Khalid Mansoor was part of one of the biggest elite business lobbies in Pakistan, led by Abdul Razzaq Dawood, the prime minister's adviser on commerce and trade. "Mansoor might serve the interests of the elite business lobby that he represents, but he will not be able to work for the progression of CPEC like Bajwa could have done."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/Pakistan-replaces-its-Belt-and-Road-chief-with-Beijing-favorite

ثنا اللّٰہ زہری اور عبدالقادر بلوچ پیپلز پارٹی میں شامل

 مسلم لیگ (ن) چھوڑنے والے نواب ثنا اللّٰہ زہری اور سابق گورنر بلوچستان

عبدالقادر بلوچ نے پیپلز پارٹی میں شمولیت کا اعلان کردیا۔

پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری ثنا اللّٰہ زہری اور عبدالقادر بلوچ کی پارٹی میں شمولیت کی تقریب کے لیے خصوصی طور پر کوئٹہ پہنچے۔

کوئٹہ میں جلسہ عام سے خطاب کے دوران عبدالقادر بلوچ نے کہا کہ ن لیگ کو خیر باد کہہ دیا اب بلوچستان میں ن لیگ کے پاس کوئی قدآور شخصیت نہیں رہی۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ پیپلز پارٹی نے اپنی قابلیت پر آج بلوچستان میں پوزیشن بنائی ہے، صحیح کام کیا تو بلوچستان میں ہماری اکثریتی حکومت بنے گی۔

ثناء اللّٰہ زہری نے کہا کہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری، ذوالفقار بھٹو کے نواسے ہیں، توقع ہے جو نواز شریف نے ہمارے ساتھ کیا وہ آپ نہیں کریں گے۔

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ ہم نے نواز شریف سے کہا تھا کہ ہمیں پنجاب سے کچھ نہیں صرف عزت چاہیے۔

https://jang.com.pk/news/967779

PPP is the name of the people’s resistance against all forms of terrorism and extremism in the country – Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari paid homage to the martyrs of the Quetta tragedy and said that it was one of the worst and darkest events in the history of our country. It was a vicious conspiracy against Balochistan and against the activists. On August 8, 2016, 73 people, including 56 lawyers, were killed in a terrorist attack in Quetta, including two media cameramen.

In a statement issued on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Quetta tragedy, PPP chairman said that the grief and anguish of the Quetta tragedy is still fresh in our hearts today and it’s a grief that the entire country will never forget. The brutal killing of innocents is unforgivable.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that it is unfortunate that the people in Balochistan are killed every day. The martyrs of the Quetta tragedy were murdered for the first time when this tragic incident took place. But by not implementing the recommendations of Justice Faiz Isa Commission of Inquiry into this tragedy, injustice is being done to these martyrs every day. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the right wing parties imposed on the country as a result of rigging have been obstructing the implementation of the National Action Plan including the recommendations of Justice Faiz Issa Commission of Inquiry. “There is still time to implement the National Action Plan to protect the lives and property of the people and to eradicate terrorism and extremism in the true sense of the word,” he stated.

The PPP chairman assured the families of those who lost their loved ones as a result of terrorism across the country that Pakistan Peoples Party will not tolerate terrorism and extremism and will do all that it can to eradicate the ill from the entire country. “PPP is the name of the people’s resistance against all forms of terrorism and extremism in the country,” said Chairman PPP. “The promotion of tolerance and equality is the manifesto of the Pakistan People’s Party.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari further said that no one can understand the pain of losing their loved ones as a result of terrorism better than me.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/statement/25322/