Numan Mehsud urges the government to take action against those who are flouting the law
One cannot speak about human rights in this country without discussing the tragic phenomenon of honour killings. Recently, two girls were killed in the name of honour in North Waziristan. I am sure many religious extremists and nationalists will criticise me, but if I do not raise my voice against the brutal killings of women in the name of honour, then I will be answerable for my silence before God on the Day of Judgement.
The killing of the two young girls in North Waziristan was not the first case. There are thousands of such examples across the country. Sometimes, if a girl rejects a proposal for marriage, she is killed by people who enjoy patronage of ‘elders’ because they consider her rejection to be dishonourable for the family.
We are still living in dark ages, just as people of the past were living before Islam and before renaissance. Oppression of women has remained the same across ages, and they cannot even access courts of law.
Bacha Khan said, “If you want to know how civilised society is, see how they treat their women.”
No doubt that we have a civilised culture and traditions. But suffocating conditions are imposed upon women by the patriarchs just to keep them subjugated.
The merger of tribal districts with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa brought courts to the tribal districts. Despite this, two girls were killed in North Waziristan by common people provoked by the patrons and elders.
The Constitution of this state allows me to express my views on this topic. I do not care what those girls did; was their killing lawful? Was it according to principles of Islam?
If those girls were acting against norms and traditions of our society, then one could have taken them to court, rather than taking away their lives.
No doubt that our people are completely unaware of the rule of law, but this is the responsibility of government and administrative authorities to give awareness about courts to the public.
On one side we are demonstrating against unlawful activities in tribal areas and demanding rule of law there, but on the other side, a few goons and bigots among us are justifying brutal killings of girls.
We urge the authorities to arrest the culprits as well as those notorious and patrons who escalate provocations among people.
