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.

Opinion

Editorial

Impending slaughter
07 May, 2024

Impending slaughter

RAFAH, the last shelter for Gaza’s hapless people, is about to face the wrath of the Israeli war machine. There ...
Wheat investigation
07 May, 2024

Wheat investigation

THE Shehbaz Sharif government is in a sort of Catch-22 situation regarding the alleged wheat import scandal. It is...
Naila’s feat
07 May, 2024

Naila’s feat

IN an inspirational message from the base camp of Nepal’s Mount Makalu, Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani stressed...
Plugging the gap
06 May, 2024

Plugging the gap

IN Pakistan, bias begins at birth for the girl child as discriminatory norms, orthodox attitudes and poverty impede...
Terrains of dread
Updated 06 May, 2024

Terrains of dread

Restored faith in the police is unachievable without political commitment and interprovincial support.
Appointment rules
Updated 06 May, 2024

Appointment rules

If the judiciary had the power to self-regulate, it ought to have exercised it instead of involving the legislature.