HYDERABAD, April 13: Speakers at a seminar held here on Sunday called for implementation of relevant laws against Karo-kari and abolition of the Jirga system.

They said the custom of Karo-kari had become a threat to women of rural areas.

The one-day seminar was organized by the Society for Health and Education Development at the Sindh Museum, Hyderabad. Former speaker of the Sindh Assembly Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah presided over the seminar. Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Rahila Tiwana was the chief guest on the occasion.

Terming honour killings terrorism, Ms Tiwana said the custom of Karo-kari continued to claim lives of innocent people despite existence of laws, including those based on Islamic teachings.

She called for legislation against marriages solemnized without consent of women.

She held the people responsible for not raising voice against this custom effectively.

Ms Tiwana said a bill would soon be moved in the Sindh Assembly in this regard.

She said lack of education was also a reason behind victimization of women.

Supporting the Jirga system, Sindh Democratic Alliance leader Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah argued it was the only forum and option for solution of people’s problems in the wake of the country’s ineffective judiciary, corrupt politics and the breakdown of law and order.

He said the Karo-kari custom had not originated in Sindh but had travelled to the province from some tribes of Balochistan.

He said because of the incidents of Karo-kari, bonded labour, and victimization of peasants, other important issues confronting Sindh were not projected properly.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s MNA Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair was of the opinion that non-implementation of laws against honour killings was the cause for increase in such incidents.

He called for social boycott of those people who indulged in Karo-kari incidents.

MPAs Kulsoom Nizamani and Farhin Mughal said Islamic laws would prove more helpful in curbing Karo-kari incidents.

MPA Abdul Rehman Rajput said the Sindh Assembly had set a good precedence by adopting resolutions on issues of the NFC Award, Thal canal and teaching of Sindhi language at private schools.

He said all the problems could be resolved by enforcing Islamic laws.

Backing the abolition of the Jirga system, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi opposed verdicts of Jirga, offering women as compensation.

He criticized government functionaries for allowing the Jirga system to operate.

He said SHOs who refused to register FIRs of Karo-kari should be prosecuted.

Ayaz Latif Palijo informed the participants that 800 women were murdered on the pretext of Karo-kari in the country, adding that 80,000 women were languishing in prisons of Sindh, 22,000 of whom were living with their children.

He said Diyat laws should be applied in cases of Karo-kari and it should be treated as murder.