| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Experts want law enacted to check barbaric customs |
| 2002-07-29 |
| The tribal custom of handing over girls for settling feuds could be checked with the implementation of existing laws, enactment of a law prohibiting this practice and increasing education facilities in rural areas, said legal experts and human rights activists. "People sacrifice their women relatives, specially daughters and sisters, to save themselves, which is a barbaric custom," said Qazi Mohammad Jamil, a former judge of the Peshawar High Court and ex-attorney general of Pakistan. He said although none of the laws in Pakistan allowed such brutal customs, there should be a law clearly prohibiting such acts and compromises like that of Mianwali deal. The chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Afrasiab Khattak, told Dawn: "Due to weak governance extra-judicial forums like Jirgas and Panchayat have cropped up, which have taken upon themselves to decide fate of an individual." Good idea. Pass a law and title it "A Measure to Outlaw Barbaric Practices." Then go enforce it in NWFP, where the response will be "Why should we do that?" |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |