Kabirwala case: Police book six, nab 10 including three women

MULTAN Kabirwala police registered a case against six people under the Hudood Ordinance and arrested ten people, including three women, on Thursday in the case of two girls allegedly raped on the orders of a local jury.

The police registered a case against Abdul Ghaffar Jeer, Zahoor Ahmed, Haji Sultan, Ahmed Nawaz, Bashir Ahmed and Tajammul while Chief Juror Haji Muhammad Afzal has been made a prosecution witness.

The victims, Mumtaz Mai, 16, and Mudassan Mai, 28, told reporters that Abdul Ghaffar Jeer forced them to take liquor after they were left at his mercy by the local jury. They alleged that Ghaffar also consumed liquor before raping them. Both Mumtaz and Mudassan said that Chief Juror Haji Afzal had forbade Ghaffar and his accomplices from doing any illegal act but most of the jurors decided against them. The women of the Jeer family denied that Ghaffar had raped Mumtaz and Mudassan and alleged that the girls had staged a drama to blackmail them.

Dr Shagufta Khatoon of the Nishtar Medical Hospital issued an initial medico-legal certificate that stated that Mudassan was four months pregnant and no torture signs were found on her body. Dr Khatoon said that she had sent Mudassan’s swabs to the medical examiner. The doctor said that Mumtaz had refused to cooperate during the medical examination and she also did not bear any torture signs on her body. Mumtaz has been referred to a gynaecologist.

Reuters adds: In an interview on Friday, both Mumtaz and Mudassan said they would rather die than live with shame for the rest of their lives.

Talking to Reuters at their makeshift mud house, both expressed doubt that their powerful attacker would be punished. “How can I show my face now? I will either jump in a well or take poison,” said Mumtaz.

“I cannot go back to my parents, to my husband; God please just bury me now,” said Mudassan, adding that she had little hope of justice. “These are feudal people. Police belong to them, the courts belong to them, even the government belongs to them.”

Police said that they had arrested the landlord, two of his brothers and the three-member jury that authorised the rape. All six were remanded in custody. staff report

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