KARACHI, April 5: A lady schoolteacher escaped from her village in Gambat and arrived here on Monday to seek refuge after being declared a "kari" by a local jirga. Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Rozina Ujjan, accompanied by PPP MPA Humaira Alvani, narrated her ordeal and said that she had married Sadiq Uhrain five months back in Gambat taluka of Khairpur district.

Four-month pregnant Ms Ujjan said that she was matriculation and taught in a local school. She said: "I was standing outside my home with my sister when a 15-year-old boy of the neighbours also came over there. My husband saw the boy standing near us and he made it an issue for nothing."

She said that her husband, Sadiq, had declared her "kari" and the boy "karo" and had referred the matter to the local jirga. The jirga in its first sitting declared her innocent, but at the behest of Sadiq, it reversed its verdict in its second sitting and declared Ms Ujjan as "kari". After the verdict, Sadiq had divorced her, she added.

She said that the family of the boy had paid Rs80,000 to the jirga for saving his life. However, she felt extreme danger and escaped from her native village to Karachi along with her brother and mother.

Ms Ujjan then got the contact number of MPA Humaira Alvani and asked her for refuge. She appealed to President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar and adviser on home affairs Aftab Shaikh to save her life and take action against the jirga.