LAHORE, July 25: The ASR Resource Centre has protested against the trade-off of eight young girls in a tribal settlement arrived at a gathering of religious scholars, politicians and the public in Mianwali early this week.

Four murder convicts have reportedly purchased their reprieves from the death sentence on the payment of Rs8 million and by giving away eight girls of their family as compensation to the aggrieved party.

According to reports, two teenaged girls (14 and 15 years) were married to a 77-year-old and a 55-year-old on Wednesday.

The ASR statement said the women of these families had strongly protested against the decision which was supported by influential men of the district, particularly Malik Asad Khan, the Nawab of Kalabagh; Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel, a former MNA; Taj Kund, a former MPA, and the Ulema.

The statement said: “ASR strongly supports the innocent girls and raises its voice against this cruel and obscene act.

“It is an evil action, which is against the basic human rights. According to Islam and our state laws, every woman has a right to marry the person of her own choice.

“ASR condemns Qisas law which need to be changed by the government. We also raise our voice against the old traditions prevailing in our society which forced a woman to sacrifice and marry against her will to save her family members. Men deliberately use their daughters in nefarious and dishonourable way.”

The statement further stated: “ASR demands that the violation of human rights must be eradicated from society. Every woman must have the right to live according to her own will.

“Old traditions that humiliate women should be ended. We should treat women as human beings and not as property. There is a need to educate the men in our society so that they could give rights and respect to their women,” the statement said.

HRCP: The decision of an unauthorized forum in Mianwali to give away eight girls in marriage to settle a murder case between rival families reveals an accelerated process of descent into an age of barbarianism, says Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

In a statement issued here, the HRCP said such decisions violated the laws of the land, the laws of all religions, including Islam, and indeed the norms of civilized behaviour anywhere in the world.

“It is still more shocking that authorities appear to have stood by and permitted the terms contained in the settlement to be carried out without intervention until orders were issued following the publicising of the terrible sequence of events.

“The increased incidence of such jirga verdicts, with the connivance of local figures who wield influence, sets in place a highly dangerous trend. It is clear that until systematic action is not taken by authorities to prevent the meeting of such extrajudicial forums and the meting out of sentences by them, there can be no improvement in the prevailing situation.

“Indeed there remains the very real risk that more such will take place, possibly going unreported in the press and as such un-noted by the international community.

“The action by the provincial government in a specific case can serve no useful purpose. It is crucial that wider ranging measures to bar the meting out of such verdicts by tribal gatherings be taken and all those involved in arranging such forums or permitting them to take place be penalized under the law.

“At the same time, steps must be taken to ensure that all citizens, specially women and children, are protected from such blatant abuses of their rights.

“Until such action is taken, the fear of more Mianwali-like incident is very real and the threat posed to women and other vulnerable groups will mount.”