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MINOGRA, May 5: The court of additional sessions judge, Matta, Swat, has convicted an accused to 18 years rigorous imprisonment under the Zina Ordinance here on Saturday.
The convict, Bakht Sarwar, son of Jehanzeb, resident of Naukhara, Upper Swat, had been arrested in a Zina case some time back.
In addition to the jail term, the court also ordered him to pay Rs 40,000 in damages to the victim. In case of non-payment of the amount, the convict would have to undergo another one year imprisonment.
VIOLENCE: The incidents of violence against women are increasing in Malakand division which go unreported for most of the time.
Majority of the cases occurring in the remote and hilly areas are declared as suicide and self-immolation cases.
The 25-year-old Sajida, hailing from the remote village of Mandaldag of the Matta subdivision, has also fallen prey to domestic violence. She had recently received burns, allegedly inflicted to her by her mother-in-law and brother-in-law.
Sajida in her statement, recorded before the magistrate, stated that she was tied to a bed and burnt with iron rods on sensitive parts of her body.
“I belong to a very poor family. I was ill and my husband Sher Zamin had gone to take some money from a relative to bring medicines for me. I was sleeping with my two children when one of our neighbours, Usman, son of Bakht Zada, entered my room all of a sudden, who was forcefully taken away by his father and other armed relatives. I could not understand his designs, but my brothers-in-law Gul Rehmat and Bakht Zamin alias Pehlawan with the help of their mother Hussan Paree started blaming me for having illicit relations with the man,” Sajida stated.
“After that my mother-in-law would keep iron roads in fire and give them to her sons for burning me even on the sensitive parts of my body,” she added.
Sajida is now-a-days admitted to a hospital in Peshawar in a very serious condition. Her father Umar Rehman told this correspondent that his daughter was innocent. He asked if his daughter was found guilty, why the man (Usman) was not punished.
He appealed to the NWFP governor and other authorities to take notice of the action taken against his daughter and punish the culprits.
Meanwhile, the Universal Peace Council (UPC) condemned the incident and demanded of the government to take prompt action against the accused.
In a statement issued here from its offices on Saturday, the UPC also demanded of the government to extend financial support to the victim and ensure protection to the women in the hilly areas.
