October 25, 2003	Saturday	Sha’aban 28, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: The Supreme Court was informed on Friday by police that a couple in Sanghar District was murdered by a girl’s uncle and described the murder as honour killing.

The top court had taken a suo motu notice of the matter after reports appeared in newspapers that the couple was executed on the direction of a Jirga and directed the Sanghar District and Sessions Judge to submit a report within in a week.

Taking a suo motu notice, the Chief Justice of Pakistan had said that it was shocking to know to that a man and a woman, who were married of their free will, were shot dead by a firing squad on the order of a jirga.

On Friday, Sanghar District Police Officer Dr Ameer Sheikh told the three-member bench of the Supreme Court that Ms Shazia Khaskheli and Muhammad Hasan Solangi had been killed by the uncle of the girl.

He said the police had registered a case and arrested the three people. The police officer denied that the murder was committed in pursuance of a Jirga verdict.

The police officer claimed that Jirga decisions were rare in lower parts of Sindh, and said that such incidents did happen in upper parts of the province.

The police officer said that the marriage was resented by the girl’s Khaskheli clan. He asserted the girl was already married to a man, Khuda Baksh, son of Chutto Khaskheli. The police officer was asked to explain why the father of the girl, who was arrested from the scene of the occurrence, was released from the police custody.

The court was informed that the father of the girl, who is a bank officer, was released after a confession by his brother, Ali Sher, that he had killed the couple for dishonouring their family.

The DPO stated that Mohammad Hasan Solangi was a driver in the neighbourhood of Shazia Khaskheli, 19, and was a married man with two daughters.

The District and Session Judge, Nabi Bakhsh Talpur, in his report did not rule the possibility of murders under a Jirga verdict. In his report, the D&S Judge stated that both Shazia Khaskheli and Mohammad Hasan Solangi were arrested and efforts were made to separate them.

The D&S judge stated that the claim of the girl’s family that she was already married to Khuda Baksh Khaskheli seemed to be incorrect.

The judge stated that when he asked them to produce the Nikahname, they came up with a photo copy of the document, and could not produce the original Nikha Nama. The statement about who performed the Nikah were also contradictory.

When the judge summoned the record from the Elementary College where Shazia was studying, it showed that she was unmarried and was under the guardianship of Mir Hassan Solangi, her father.

The D&S judge stated that he was surprised to read the evidence of Dr Shabbir Ahmad Cheema.

The relatives of the deceased, Mohammad Hasan Solangi, stated that he was first tortured and then killed.

The District and Session judge recommended re-exhumation of the bodies of the couple for which a board consisting of experienced and honest medical officers in the presence of the magistrate was necessary to know the actual injuries caused to the deceased.

He also recommended a re-investigation of the vase by an independent, honest and impartial police officer to discover real culprits and conspirators.

When the court was informed that Inspector-General of Police has constituted a committee comprising Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, DIG, Hyderabad, Javed Ahmad Odho, DPO of District of Badin and Attaullah Chandio, AIGP of Hyderabad, the court adjourned the case for a month.

The court ordered the officials concerned that a comprehensive report should be submitted in the court within a month.