KARACHI, March 27: The Asian Human Rights Commission, a Hong Kong-based group, on Tuesday urged the Pakistani authorities not to evict a 16-year girl and her family from a house in Karachi as it would threaten their lives given the fact that half of the men allegedly involved in her gang-rape were still at large.

In an e-mailed appeal sent to the authorities and media, the AHRC said the recent move by the government in Sindh to evict Naseema Labano, a gang-rape victim and her family, from a safe-house within the police residential quarters at Police Headquarters in Karachi had left the civil society concerned.

“It is totally shocking that the Sindh government would expose this victim to more danger knowing perfectly well that many of the alleged perpetrators (including the prime suspect) are still at large,” it said.

It said the AHRC has learnt that the eviction notice, which is given by the Sindh Home Ministry, was also supported by those at the helm.

It had also been discovered that the alleged perpetrators had arranged an illegal Jirga to try the victim. “Considering the brutal practice of Jirga, we believe that the victim’s life will be put in great danger if she is forced to go back to her village,” it said.