SUKKUR: Reinvestigation of a case pertaining to honour killing was ordered by a court on Thursday when the woman, claimed to have been murdered five years ago, appeared before the Mirpur Mathelo police of Ghotki district along with her two children.

The story unfolded when the woman, Noor Khatoon, arrived at the police station on Wednesday and made startling disclosures. She said that five years ago, she was accused of having maintained an extramarital affair by her husband, Shabbir Chijjan, and took the matter to the community elder, Nazeer Chijjan, who appeared to be his father-in-law.

She said she was condemned to death by Nazeer Chijjan for the alleged crime and Mukhtiar Kalhoro, the man accused of being the other partner in the alleged crime, was made to pay a fine of Rs1.1 million to the community elder. Shabbir Chijjan and Nazeer Chijjan declared that the former killed the woman and threw her body into a canal to execute the jirga’s ruling.

She said her husband had in fact handed her over to the community elder [Nazeer Chijjan], who sold her to a person, hailing from Vehari (Punjab) for Rs500,000.

Noor Khatoon called for a reinvestigation of the case and punishment to the culprits. She said that her father had lodged a murder FIR at the Mirpur Mathelo police station five years ago against eight persons, including Nazeer Chijjan, his son-in-law and Shabbir Chijjan which was pending adjudication.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2019