Gang-rape victim seeks CJs help

ISLAMABAD - Anwer Bibi, who was gang raped by her brother-in-law and his associates, has appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to help her for justice, as the culprits are still at large and giving her and her family life threats. Anwer Bibi, 28, is a mother of three children and hails from Ubaro, Ghotki, Sindh. She was living with her mother and sister-in-law after getting verbal divorce from her husband and was pregnant for two months when she was picked up forcefully by her brother-in-law and his associates and gang raped. She has approached the National Commission on the Status of Women for justice and the Commission, on behalf of the victim, has demanded that the bail should be cancelled and the culprits should immediately be arrested and brought to the book. According to the Commission Anwar Bibis elder brother-in-law, Haji Noor Din wanted to have sexual relations with her. However, on her refusal, Haji Noor Din in order to take revenge from her along with his two accomplices, Irfan Khan and Ahmed barged into her parents home and kidnapped her and took her back to Sadiqabad, Punjab on April 26. She was given drugs, made unconscious and had been gang raped continuously for five days. When she regained her conscious after five days, she found herself in Darul-Aman, Multan. After sexually abused her, the culprits took her to a shelter home in Multan, they made her to sign on a paper accusing her own brother of giving threats to her life. The pledge apparently to seek refuge in the shelter house was made from her, but it was ill intentionally designed by the culprits. Her brother brought her back to her native town and lodged an FIR against the accused with Ubaro Police Station. Even after the lapse of 15 days, the challan was not submitted with the court. No one was arrested and no action was taken against the perpetrators. On May 31, the challan was submitted with the court. On the instruction of police, a medical examination of the victim was carried out in the Civil Hospital Mirpur, Thello. The hospital prepared three reports that proved that she had been gang raped, physically abused and given drugs. On June 7, the victim along with her brother presented the medical report and a copy of FIR before the Session Judge Ghotki through a lawyer, Tarique Ahemd. The Session Judge further referred her case to a third additional judge Mirpur, Mathello. On June 8, the victim with her brother went to Mirpur Mathelo, they were asked by the judge to come again on June 15 for the hearing of their case. The judge did not take up the case, therefore, the proceedings didnt take place, it was told. Anwer Bibi and her brother kept on waiting for the proceedings outside the courtroom in the scorching heat. The said judge while sitting in his chamber without initiating the proceeding sent his reader to inform them that the bail had been granted to the accused. Following that victory, the culprits reached the victims parents house on the same day and resorted to aerial firing to celebrate their victory and threatened Anwer Bibi of kidnapping again and her brother (Nadeem) the main complainant in the case, of killing, if they did not shut their mouth. The incident had badly affected the parents and brother of Anwer Bibi, as her father and brother both had suffered heart attack. The brother survived but the father passed away. Her husband, Ghulam Mohammad, is reportedly a habitual drinker and homosexual. He never fed and clothed Anwar Bibi and her children. He often used to force Anwar Bibi to serve his guests tea and other edible items. He wanted to offer his wife to his customers to use her as a sexual object so that in return he could get sexual favour for himself. When she complained and tried to make her husband understood that he should avoid practising such behaviour, he threw her out of his home, snatched her three children and divorced her verbally. The Commission has also sought that the children should be given into the custody of their mother, as they all are very young and under the age of five. The father should bear maintenance expenditure of the children and also of the victim, as she is pregnant for seven months now and there should be a proper resolution of the marriage.

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