HYDERABAD, May 12: The authorities concerned should order an inquiry into the killing of two cousins, Tehmina, 17, and Abida, 18, in Shikarpur on a jirga order. This was demanded by the Asian Human Rights Commission in a message faxed to Dawn here on Wednesday.

The commission maintained that the girls were killed because they had visited the home of their grandparents without permission from their families. It said that an influential landlord of the Jano village, Shikarpur, Abdul Rasheed Bhutto, and his eight accomplices were responsible for the murder of the girls which was later justified by a jirga held by the accused.

It regretted that police had failed to take action against the accused despite the registration of an FIR. It appealed for protection to the bereaved family which was being pressured by the landlord for withdrawing the case.

It demanded implementation of the Sindh High Court decision banning jirgas. Meanwhile, talking to Dawn by telephone, Iqbal Detho of the Amnesty International said that the apex court should take suo motu action in the matter.