Jirga orders execution of eloping girl

RAHIM YAR KHAN - A jirga, local council, ordered the execution of a girl who had eloped with her lover and declared as vini two girls of the youth's family. Riaz Chandia and Shamshad, residents of Basti Ramzan Chandia in Abadpur, who had runaway and got married eight months ago, have surfaced again. A local jirga held at Kach Chohan to settle the issue gave its ruling of executing Shamshad and to turn a couple of girls of Riaz's family as vini. The Chandia Mazari jirga also imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the boy's family. It also warned the family members of dire consequences in case they refused to accept the decision. At the same, the boy's family is being pressed to accept the jirga orders, as fake FIRs of stealing transformer and buffalos have been lodged in Bangla Acha Police Station.Talking to media, the couple said the IG Punjab had ordered the police to withdraw the fake FIRs and provide them protection, but nothing is being done in this connection. They said that despite of Supreme Court's orders about holding jirgas, their families are being harassed through police. They accused SHO Muslim Zia of backing the jirga members. Shamshad said that her uncle had participated in their court marriage and her parents are happy now, but some of here relatives and local sardars have taken their marriage as a matter of ego.Riaz Chandia's uncle Allah Nawaz and grandfather Bakhsoo Chandia said that police were conducting raids against them which is a clear violation of the IG's orders. They appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the situation and provide them protection and justice.When contacted, SHO Muslim Zia said that he did not even know about the jirga. He said he has nothing to do with the FIRs as they have been lodged in another police station of District Rajanpur. Similarly, the jirga members Khadim Hussain Chandia and Habib Chandia said that they have nothing to do with the jirga and FIRs. On DPO Rahim Yar Khan Sohail Zafar Chatta's orders, the Abadpur Police Station lodged a case against 22 persons including girl's father Mukhtiar Chandia and uncle Habib Chandia for threatening boy's family.

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