THIS is with reference to the report ‘Italy asks Pakistan to extradite parents of missing teen girl’ (Dawn.Com; Sept 23). Saman Abbas, a second-generation Pakistani living in the small Italian town of Novellara, near Bologna, disappeared in April this year and is presumed dead.

According to the Italian authorities, she was most likely killed by her family in a case of ‘honour killing’ after refusing to marry her cousin who had been chosen by her parents. Much about this case is still a conjecture. There is no dead body and police is still looking for human remains in the agricultural fields where the family used to work. Soon after her disappearance, all the family members who had been suspected of involvement in one way or the other, fled the country. Her uncle Danish Hasnain and cousins Nomanulhaq and Ikram Ijaz, who had been under investigation for premeditated murder and concealment of a human corpse, left Italy for France. Her parents Shabbar Abbas and Nazia Shaheen left for Pakistan. Her younger brother was caught at the border while he was trying to escape.

The case was on Italian mainstream radio and TV for several months over the summer. The right-wing, anti-immigrant parties had a field day. They took to the airwaves and social media, pointing out that the immigrants, particularly Pakistanis, would never adapt to the norms, mores and laws of Italy, or to those of any other European country.

According to such political parties, Pakistani immigrants might appear to be hard-working, law-abiding citizens, but, inside their homes, they are regressive. This kind of rhetoric not only feeds biases and hatred, but also poisons ongoing political discussions about important topics related to immigration and integration.

The Saman Abbas case has just returned to the spotlight following the arrest of Danish Hasnain in Paris on Sept 22. He is awaiting extradition to Italy. The Italian government has also formally requested Pakistani authorities to arrest and extradite Saman’s parents for questioning and possible trial. Pakistani authorities must respond expeditiously to this request.

Politicisation of the case or bureaucratic foot-dragging will not only cause harm to the cause of justice, but also to the image of Pakistan in the eyes of the world community. It will fan the flames of anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistani sentiments in Italy and Europe.

Daud Khan, Ejaz Ahmed, Sabika Shah Povia
Rome, Italy

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2021