Disappearance of councillor termed conspiracy -DAWN

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July 11, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1424

Disappearance of councillor termed conspiracy

By A Reporter

ISLAMABAD, July 10: The chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), Justice Majida Rizvi (retired), has said the alleged harassment and ‘disappearance’ of a woman councillor from Multan, Mrs Zenab Khatoon Malik, is a conspiracy against the government.

The issue of disappearance or a possible case of abduction of Mrs Zenab Khatoon was stirred up by some non-governmental organisations in Islamabad.

Mrs Zenab Khatoon is an elected councillor from Multan who was contesting for the post of district Nazim, which fell vacant after Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who was the first Multan Nazim, won the National Assembly elections and vacated the post.

Sarwar Bari of Pattan and Farzana Shahid of Women Councillors Network, Rawalpindi district, along with representatives of other NGOs, briefed newsmen at a local hotel on Thursday morning to express their concern over the situation.

They alleged that Mrs Zanaib Khatoon was forced to withdraw from the election of District Nazim in favour of Pir Riaz Hussain Qureshi, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), under pressure and later she had disappeared along with other members of her family and there whereabouts were still unknown. While the NGOs raised the issue on Thursday, Majida Rizvi had already written letters to the Chief Executive, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, the Punjab governor and the Inspector General of Police, Punjab, demanding immediately recovery of Mrs Zenab Khatoon.

“Mrs Zenab Khatoon Malik, who was contesting election for the post of District Nazim Multan is missing from her residence since Sunday (July 6). There are reports that she was being intimidated and harassed by the male contestant to withdraw in their favour. It is suspected that she is being wrongfully detained,” wrote Justice (Retd) Majida Rizvi in her letter to the higher authorities.