April 06, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 5: The Women Action Forum (WAF) protested on Saturday the alleged stoning to death of a couple in Mohmand Agency and demanded legal measures to curb punishments by non-state parties.

Activists of the WAF held protest in front of the Peshawar Press Club. They were holding placards and banners against ‘honour killing’ in the conservative NWFP.

They condemned the honour killing incident and demanded of the government to amend the Criminal Procedure Code and make the offence non-compoundable.

They said that the state should become a party in such cases and punish the culprits according to the law.

A woman and man, who allegedly eloped, were captured by the Taliban after receiving ‘complaints’ from the woman’s family few days back.

The militants after abducting the couple on Monday charged them with adultery and ‘sentenced’ them stoning till death.

Rukhshinda Naz on the occasion said the state should take notice of this case saying that neither religion nor law allowed honour killings.

She demanded an end to all kinds of crimes against women.

Shabina Ayaz said the accused in honour killing cases often got away with their crime because the families of the victims of honour killings often compromised with each other. Most of the times, accused in such cases were family members of the victims so they went unpunished for their crimes.

Ruling Awami National Party MNAs Jamila Gilani and Bushra Gohar also took part in the protest and condemned the murders in Mohmand agency. Ms Gohar said that multi-judicial systems of jirgas, militant courts and punchayats should be discouraged by government and the judicial system of the state should be strengthened.

“The government should take notice of decisions of non-state judicial bodies,” said the lawmaker, who is also an activist of the WAF.