MANSEHRA, June 11: Seven persons, three of them stated to be eyewitnesses to five women’s alleged killing in Pales area of Kohistan on jirga orders, on Monday expressed ignorance about the alleged killings and the alleged holding of the jirga for issuance of the killing decree for singing and dancing in a mixed marriage function.

Mohammad Afzal, who ‘broke’ the news of jirga decree and later that of the five women’s killing, had named seven people as eyewitnesses to the holding of jirga and killing of women.

The alleged eyewitnesses were produced before the senior civil judge, Kohistan.After recording statements with the court, eyewitnesses Safer Salar, Qadam Khan and Zaib Hayyat said they were completely ignorant about any incident in which five women were killed on jirga’s orders.

“Mr Afzal tells a lie when he says we are eyewitnesses to the killings. We live too faraway from the village inhabited by the said women. We say on oath that we have neither witnessed the killing of women nor do we know whether they are dead or alive,” said Mr Qadam.

Maulvi Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Jehangir, Masoom Khan and Noorul Haq, who were alleged to be members of the jirga, which announced the death decree, told the court that no jirga meeting had taken place in the area where a decree to kill women or anyone else was issued.

In a related development in the day, elders of Salakhel tribe have sought the help of a former nazim of Puttan tehsil to end their enmity with those of Azadkhel tribe and warned that if enmity didn’t end, their rivals could kill Afzal for breaking the false news of the women’s killings.

Opinion

Editorial

A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...
Race against time
Updated 09 Feb, 2025

Race against time

While some bright spots emerged at Breathe Pakistan moot, we must streamline our climate governance.
Open door
09 Feb, 2025

Open door

THE door is still open for talks, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has reminded the PTI. What matters, however,...
Football suspension
09 Feb, 2025

Football suspension

ONCE again, Pakistan has been ousted from the global football family. FIFA recently suspended the Pakistan Football...