Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a girls schoolteacher has been declared Kari (liable to be killed in the name of “honour”) for establishing a primary girls’ school in a feudal area. She was earlier kidnapped by her maternal uncle and detained there for two months, where she was tortured and asked to wind up the school and turn it into a place of recreation for powerful people of Jacobabad District. Her male family members, with the connivance of a tribal leader of her caste, have allegedly hired four killers to murder her and her husband in the name of “honour”. The school has been turned into recreational venue for powerful people and the Education Department of Sindh has remained a silent spectator, denying education to around 200 girls.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mrs. Khanzadi, 23, wife of Mehboob Ali Lohr, resident of Jacobabad, Sindh, was stopped by her family members from pursuing her education after 12th Grade. She then began teaching girl students at the primary level under a tree in the year 2008; her school became popular in nearby villages and, at one point, around two hundred children were studying in two shifts. She began running the shade-tree school on her own, without taking money from government or any NGO.
The popularity of the school forced the District Education Office of Jacobabad to inspect the school under the tree. One, Haji Masood Ahmed, District Education Officer (DEO) of Jacobabad visited the school and offered to use his good offices to influence the Provincial Education Department for adopting the school and constructing a schoolhouse.
In 2011, the school building was constructed, and it was given the name of a government school. The District Education Department, in recognition of her service to education wanted to put Khanzadi’s name in the title of the school, but her paternal uncle, Mr. Mehar Dil Lohr, the head of the family, forced the government officers and her that the name of the school must be in his name otherwise he will not allow the school to operate on his land. So, the school was named Government Primary Girls School Mehar Lohr.
After some months tribal leaders, Mir Folad Khan Lohr and Sardar Mirdad Lohr, forced her uncles and his notorious sons to abandon the school and turn it into Autaq, a place of recreation for landlords of the district. Everyday in the morning on her arrival at the school she began finding the gates locked by her cousins. She complained to the District Education Department.
One officer, Mukhtarkar, visited the school and was told by the cousins and other criminals that they will not allow a girls school and accused her of delivering education free of cost and making girls educated in their male-dominated area. They threatened the official that if she is here as schoolteacher she will be murdered, so take her with you and marry her outside the district.
As Mukhtarkar left the school, Mrs. Khanzadi was beaten by male members of the family and thrown out of the home. She stayed with a maternal aunt, from where her one maternal uncle took her to his residence in another district, Khanpur, in Punjab Province, where she was locked in a room and tortured to shut the school. On 6 March 2015, she was severely beaten by her maternal uncle and was told that tonight she will be killed in the name of honour and four persons had been hired for that reason. Somehow she managed to get the cell phone from the younger son of her uncle and called the police to save her. Police raided the house and arrested all the persons; she was next day produced before the Magistrate who sent her to a shelter, Darul Aman, in Larkana District.
She was released on 25 June 2015, and went straight to Karachi. There she married one of her relatives, Mr. Mehboob Ali Lohr, in civil court, on July 4, 2015. This news disturbed the whole clan of Lohr, who declared her husband as Karo, and her as Kari, to be killed in the name of disrespecting the honour of the tribe.
The tribal chief, Mir Folad Khan Lohr, has been asked by her to settle her case; the chief replied that he will hold a Jirga, the parallel judicial system hearing, and if she pays Pak Rupees 3 million, then he will announce her innocence and this will save her from honour killing. Her father is weak, in that he does not hold any position in the community that would allow him to take or influence a decision on his daughter.
The feudal lord of the area, Sardar Mirdad Lohr, has hired three criminals to kill the couple in the name of “honour” and the Jirga will exonerate them from murder for upholding the honour of the tribe. Those hired for honour killings are: Abdul Razzak, Gulab Khan, and Abdul Waheed.
The Jacobabad District police still have not taken any step against perpetrators despite several reminders. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Jacobabad, Sajjid Hussain Khokhar, remains in contact with tribal chief and says he take some action, but after three years of closure of the school he still has not take any action.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the following authorities calling them to provide protection to the schoolteacher, Khanzadi Mehboob, and her husband, Mr. Mehboob Ali, who have been declared as Karo and Kari, to be killed in the name of “honour”. The authorities must restore the primary girls school immediately and arrest all those, including the tribal chief of Lohr tribe, for stopping the education of the girls. The Education Department of Sindh Province must appoint her the head mistress of the school and reopen the school without further delay.
The government must also take action against the Jacobabad police for its negligence in providing protection to the schoolteacher and school children and becoming a party to denouncing of education to the girls.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Violence against Women, and UN Special Rapporteur on the Question on the right to education, calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Teacher declared Kari for running girls’ school; threat of ‘honour’ killing
Name of victim:
1. Ms. Khanzadi Mehboob Ali Lohr, resident of Village Qadir Bux Lohr Baloch, Tehseel Garhi Khairo, District Jacobabad, Sindh
2. Mr. Mehboob Ali Lohr, resident of Village Qadir Bux Lohr Baloch, Tehseel Garhi Khairo, District Jacobabad, Sindh
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Mehar Dil Lohr, resident of Tehseel Garhi Khairo, Jacobabad.
2. Mr. Mohammad Yasin Lohr, resident of Tehseel Garhi Khairo, Jacobabad
3. Wadera Mir Folad Khad Khan Lohr, resident of Tehseel Garhi Khairo, Jacobabad
4. Sardar Mirdad Mohammad Lohr, Mr. Nawab Khan Lohr, resident of Tehseel Garhi Khairo, Jacobabad
5. Mr. Sajjid Hussain Khokhar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jacobabad District
Date of incident: 6 March 2015
Place of incident: Garhi Khairo, District Jacobabad.
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding about a schoolteacher being declared Kari (liable to be killed in the name of “honour”) for establishing a girls’ primary school in a feudal dominated area. She was once kidnapped by her maternal uncle and detained there for two months; she was tortured and asked to wind up the school and turn it into a recreation place for the powerful people of District Jacobabad.
It is alarming for me that her male family members, in connivance of tribal leaders of her caste, have allegedly hired four killers to murder her and her husband in the name of honour.
The school has been turned into place of personal us for powerful people and the education department of Sindh remained as silent spectator for denial of education to some 200 girls.
According to the information I received, Mrs. Khanzadi, 23, wife of Mehboob Ali Lohr, resident of Jacobabad, Sindh, was stopped by her family members from pursuing her education after 12th Grade. She then began teaching girl students at the primary level under a tree in the year 2008; her school became popular in nearby villages and, at one point, around two hundred children were studying in two shifts. She began running the shade-tree school on her own, without taking money from government or any NGO.
I appreciate the officer of education department that one, Haji Masood Ahmed, District Education Officer (DEO) of Jacobabad visited the school and offered to use his good offices to influence the Provincial Education Department for adopting the school and constructing a schoolhouse.
In 2011, the school building was constructed, and it was given the name of a government school. The District Education Department, in recognition of her service to education wanted to put Khanzadi’s name in the title of the school, but her paternal uncle, Mr. Mehar Dil Lohr, the head of the family, forced the government officers and her that the name of the school must be in his name otherwise he will not allow the school to operate on his land. So, the school was named Government Primary Girls School Mehar Lohr.
I am dismayed that after some months tribal leaders, Mir Folad Khan Lohr and Sardar Mirdad Lohr, forced her uncles and his notorious sons to abandon the school and turn it into Autaq, a place of recreation for landlords of the district. Everyday in the morning on her arrival at the school she began finding the gates locked by her cousins. She complained to the District Education Department.
One officer, Mukhtarkar, visited the school and was told by the cousins and other criminals that they will not allow a girls school and accused her of delivering education free of cost and making girls educated in their male-dominated area. They threatened the official that if she is here as schoolteacher she will be murdered, so take her with you and marry her outside the district.
I am shocked to know that as Mukhtarkar left the school, Mrs. Khanzadi was beaten by male members of the family and thrown out of the home. She stayed with a maternal aunt, from where her one maternal uncle took her to his residence in another district, Khanpur, in Punjab Province, where she was locked in a room and tortured to shut the school. On 6 March 2015, she was severely beaten by her maternal uncle and was told that tonight she will be killed in the name of honour and four persons had been hired for that reason. Somehow she managed to get the cell phone from the younger son of her uncle and called the police to save her. Police raided the house and arrested all the persons; she was next day produced before the Magistrate who sent her to a shelter, Darul Aman, in Larkana District.
She was released on 25 June 2015, and went straight to Karachi. There she married one of her relatives, Mr. Mehboob Ali Lohr, in civil court, on July 4, 2015. This news disturbed the whole clan of Lohr, who declared her husband as Karo, and her as Kari, to be killed in the name of disrespecting the honour of the tribe.
The tribal chief, Mir Folad Khan Lohr, has been asked by her to settle her case; the chief replied that he will hold a Jirga, the parallel judicial system hearing, and if she pays Pak Rupees 3 million, then he will announce her innocence and this will save her from honour killing. Her father is weak, in that he does not hold any position in the community that would allow him to take or influence a decision on his daughter.
The feudal lord of the area, Sardar Mirdad Lohr, has hired three criminals to kill the couple in the name of “honour” and the Jirga will exonerate them from murder for upholding the honour of the tribe. Those hired for honour killings are: Abdul Razzak, Gulab Khan, and Abdul Waheed.
It is very lethargic situation for me that the Jacobabad District police still have not taken any step against perpetrators despite several reminders. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Jacobabad, Sajjid Hussain Khokhar, remains in contact with tribal chief and says he take some action, but after three years of closure of the school he still has not taken any action.
I, therefore, urge upon you to to provide protection to the schoolteacher, Khanzadi Mehboob, and her husband, Mr. Mehboob Ali, who have been declared as Karo and Kari, to be killed in the name of “honour”. The authorities must restore the primary girls school immediately and arrest all those, including the tribal chief of Lohr tribe, for stopping the education of the girls. The Education Department of Sindh Province must appoint her the head mistress of the school and reopen the school without further delay.
The government must also take action against the Jacobabad police for its negligence in providing protection to the schoolteacher and school children and becoming a party to denouncing of education to the girls.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
- Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111, +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk, pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
2. Mr. Murad Ali Shah
Chief Minister of Sindh
The Government of Sindh Province
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email: pressecy@cmsindh.gov.pk
3. Mr. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Minister
Ministry of Interior of Pakistan
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com, ministry.interior@gmail.com
4. Mr. Kamran Michael
Minister For Human Rights
Through Secretary, Ministry of Human Right
ministry of human rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area, Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk,
Islamabad
Tel: 051-9216620,
Fax: 051-9216621,
Email: secretary@mohr.gov.pk
5. Mr. Tahir Shahbaz
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
7. Home minister,
Government of Sindh
Barrack 79, Pakistan Secretariat
Near MPA hostel
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9204456
Tel: +92 21 9201920-1
E-mail: secy.home@sindh.gov.pk
8. Justice Majida Rizvi
Regional Directorate of Human Rights,
Block no. 5, Sindh Secretariat No.4-A, Frere Road, Karachi.
Ph: 92-21-99205835
Fax: 92-21-99205837
Email: justicerazvi@hotmail.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
