QUETTA, Oct 9: The Supreme Court has taken notice of a jirga reportedly held in Dera Bugti district that decided that 13 girls would be married under the custom of ‘wani’ to resolve a feud between two groups of the Masuri tribe.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ordered on Tuesday that the jirga’s members, including Balochistan Assembly member Mir Tariq Masuri, should be presented before the court on Wednesday.

A three-judge bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja was hearing a petition filed by the Balochistan Bar Association on the law and order situation in the province and the missing persons’ case.

The chief justice asked the Dera Bugti deputy commissioner to brief him about the Bakar jirga and about action taken in the case.

The deputy commissioner said he had learnt about the incident as late as on Monday and that the jirga had not been held in Bakar, but in Barkhan district. According to him, seven girls had been made wani.

The chief justice wondered why the deputy commissioner was not aware about the incident that had taken place last month.

He said such incidents had also taken place in Sindh where a minister had been involved.

Opinion

Editorial

May 9 fallout
Updated 09 May, 2024

May 9 fallout

It is important that this chapter be closed satisfactorily so that the nation can move forward.
A fresh approach?
09 May, 2024

A fresh approach?

SUCCESSIVE governments have tried to address the problems of Balochistan — particularly the province’s ...
Visa fraud
09 May, 2024

Visa fraud

THE FIA has a new task at hand: cracking down on fraudulent work visas. This was prompted by the discovery of a...
Narcotic darkness
08 May, 2024

Narcotic darkness

WE have plenty of smoke with fire. Citizens, particularly parents, caught in Pakistan’s grave drug problem are on...
Saudi delegation
08 May, 2024

Saudi delegation

PLANS to bring Saudi investment to Pakistan have clearly been put on the fast track. Over the past month, Prime...
Reserved seats
Updated 08 May, 2024

Reserved seats

The truth is that the entire process — from polls, announcement of results, formation of assemblies and elections to the Senate — has been mishandled.