IT is very disturbing to learn that senator Israrullah Zehri, the man who recently defended the barbaric burial of 5 women in the name of honour, has been appointed a minister in the federal government by the PPP.

If the same thing had been done by Musharraf, PML-N or JI, the so called champions of women rights would have raised hell all over the world, but since this case involves the PPP, one does not see a similar outcry.

SOHAIB AHMED Islamabad

II

I am absolutely appalled at the recent appointment of Senator Israr Ullah Zehri, as a minister, in a move for cabinet expansion by President Asif Ali Zardari. I would like to recall to the readers' mind that this is the same man who supported the burying alive of girls by the Baloch Urmani tribe to control 'obscene' behaviour, in front of a shocked yet silent Parliament, some 6 weeks back.

The girls, who were inhumanly murdered were no different from me, were of my age. Their right to choose their life partner was trampled upon by misogynists who couldn't bear to see their power slipping away by having these girls think for themselves.

The victims' only crime was to have been born in a region which upholds barbaric tribal traditions.

It hurts me to the core to see that despite the hue and cry in the media over the affair and the public outrage, Mr Zardari still went ahead and appointed such a man as minister.

Of course, it should have been expected from a man of Zardari's honourable stature to appoint .

As a Pakistani girl, I do not want to live in a society which deems burying women alive to be an acceptable form of repressing and controlling them. I do not want to live in constant fear knowing that Senator Israr Ullah Zehri is minister.

RAMSHA QAZI Karachi