BNP Senator justifies Burying Women Alive

Reported by Abdulhadi Hairan, Peshawar (Published first at Instablogs)
Also reported on BBC Urdu

Senator Israrullah Zahri
Senator Israrullah Zahri

A Pakistani Senator Israrullah Zahri from Baluchistan province Friday, August 29, 2008 tried to justify the crime of burying women alive by Umrani tribal elders. He told the Upper House, ‘It is a Baluch tribal tradition (to bury accused women alive) and we have to respect it’ referring to the brutal incident of burying three girls and two older women a few days ago.

According to the information obtained by Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), ‘the five women Ms. Fatima, wife of Umeed Ali Umrani, Jannat Bibi, wife of Qaisar Khan, Fauzia, daughter of Ata Mohammad Umrani, and two other girls, aged between 16 to 18 years, were buried alive in a remote village, the Baba Kot, 80 kilometers away from Usta Mohammad city of Jafferabad district.’

ACTION ALERT

  • Sign the AHRC’s Letter of Appeals condemning the Murder of the five women
  • Spread the word by email and facebook about this concerning issue
  • Vehemently Condemn the Senator, for issuing such a statement, as this tradition of killing women is inhumane by any understanding and should not be supported or even justified by a government official specially in the Senate


The incident was not reported in the media ‘due to the influence of a provincial minister Mr. Sadiq Umrani and his brother Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani, from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party who are believed to be involved in the brutal murder’, but when it was eventually reported, it was said that the girls wanted to marry the men of their choice and were likely going to a civil court in Jafferabad. The two older women were supporting their decision of marrying the men of their choice.

Reports further add that the girls were at the house of Mr. Chandio at Baba Kot village when Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani, brother of the provincial minister, came with more than six persons and abducted them with gun points. They were taken in a Land Cruiser jeep, bearing a registration number plate of the Baluchistan government, to another remote area, Nau Abadi, in the vicinity of Baba Kot. After reaching the deserted area, Abdul Sattar Umrani and his six accomplices took the three girls out of the jeep and beat them before opening fire with their guns. The girls were seriously injured but were still alive. Sattar Umrani and his accomplices hurled them into a wide ditch and covered them with earth and stones. The two older women protested and tried to stop the burial of the girls who were plainly alive, but the attackers pushed them too into the ditch and buried all alive.

Senator Yasmin Shah
Senator Yasmin Shah

On Friday, a woman Senator, Yasmeen Shah, condemned the incident in the regular meeting of the Upper House and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits, but Mr. Zahri, who belongs to the same province where the women were buried alive, told the House that it was a tradition of the respectable tribes and the media should avoid raising it.

Hundreds of cases of honour killings of women occur in the tribal, and even settled, areas of Pakistan every year. And the tragedy is that the government  fails to take strong steps to curb such ill treatment of women. The matter is even more to be condemned in cases like this where  law-makers and government officials themselves are found to be at the forefront  of those resorting to women abuse and violation of human rights?


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40 responses to “BNP Senator justifies Burying Women Alive”

  1. Kamran Avatar

    i hope i can be powerful enough some day to just teach those men a real good lesson..

  2. Mahmood Amin Avatar
    Mahmood Amin

    Sick fuedal b_____ds. Would love to see them buried alive…

  3. Silence Avatar
    Silence

    It’s frustrating and condemnable statement and the retartd must be asked to step down.

    On other hand his statement is not much different from what Musharraff said during his visit to USA “Pakistani women get raped to get Canadian Visa”. This is the mind set of our elite.

    However I would like to register my protest here, is not this blog going too forawrd in PPP media trial and spreading disinformation?

    The retard Senator belongs to BNP……not PPP, and i expect Awab will correct the heading for sake of truth.

    Here is his profile:

    Mir Israr Ullah Zehri (Baluchistan):
    http://www.senate.gov.pk/images/Members/Is…lah%20Zehri.JPG

    Party: BNP (Awami)

    Home phone: 051-9207477

    Address: 302-E Parliament lodges, Islamabad

    Committee member: He is member of 4 standing committee … one of them is:

    Standing committee … Planning and development and population welfare
    (Seems he has nice thoughts for this committee)

  4. Teeth Maestro Avatar

    @Silence: Thank you for the error – it stands corrected & the permalink changed to show the altered name

    Details of the senator from the Senate website

    Mir Israr Ullah Zehri [LINK]
    Party Affiliation: BNP (Awami)
    Home Phone: 051-9207477
    Province: Baluchistan
    Address: 302-E, Parliament Lodges, Islamabad.

    Committee(s):
    Standing Committee on Planning and Development and Population Welfare
    Standing Committee on Interior
    Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping
    Standing Committee on Narcotics Control

    Tenure = March 2006 to March 2012

  5. Unaiza Fatima Avatar
    Unaiza Fatima

    While we concentrate on one Aafia 10,000 miles away, dozens more Aafias pop-up right under our nose.

  6. KarimG Avatar
    KarimG

    I am speechless, if this is true, God if it is true, we need to re-evaluate our religion, culture humanity, every thing, this is beyond barbaric. As for Mr. Senator, why should we be surprized, how different is he from any other AH that has power, influence or both. But the question is where is the deserved outrage, why the whole country has not descended on this God forsaken village to burn the men who did this, what f@#$%^g tridition is this senator talking about, why it is not outlawed…I simply can’t get my head around this one…God help us!

  7. Salman Avatar
    Salman

    @ KarimG,

    It has nothing to do with our religion. This is tribal tradition and has nothing to do with our the teachings from the Quran and Sunnah. Please stop making baseless remarks.

    @ Teeth, great job of making everyone aware of this crazy man and incident. I do hope that we all will not forget this. This man should be removed from office and if guilty, punished.

  8. Wakas Mir Avatar

    This is so sad. I wish those that are justifying also end up in jail while those that did it, end up in jail for life. This is a sick tradition and should definitely not be respected in any possible way by anyone who respects Islam.

  9. KarimG Avatar
    KarimG

    Yeah Salman, it might not have any thing to do with our religion, understand the offence you take BUT how is it that so many of these brutal practices go unchallenged by the ULEMA. I see them all getting excited on newspaper images of prophet (and perhaps rightly so) or making a big fuss about the choice free adults make about their life styles, but when it comes to this, SILENCE…

    You can not deny that Islam has a huge influence in triditional societies and without the tacit approval and even complicity of the local clerics these practices would not go on. Defend the right of a human being is a Jahad that our clerics and people of faith need to take up. Regardless of how offended you wanna get, when this stuff is gonna make it to CNN, I promise you that there will be a great number of talking heads taht will openly and not so openly mention Islam…you can scream as much as you want that it has nothing to do with Islam!

  10. QaimKhani Avatar
    QaimKhani

    The culprits (UMRANI) belonged to Pakistan Peoples Party. Didn’t they? Zahri’s (BNP) crime is that he justified the crime.

    All these Feudal lords who run the Pakistan Peoples Party have same mentality. Women of interior Sindh and Baluchistan are killed in the name of Karo Kari.

    So yes, PPP should be media trialed. Why not? if they are the criminals. THEY SHOULD.

  11. QaimKhani Avatar
    QaimKhani

    I now want to see how independent is the Judiciary under Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party.

    I bet these thugs are now trying to shut-up the media

  12. Romeo Avatar
    Romeo

    Silence

    So now would you recommend us to let these CRIMIRNALs go unpunished because they are the SYMBOLS OF DEMOCRACY in PAKISTAN?

    Its just one incident that came to media light. These Feudal lords who nourish the dakoo culture in Sindh and Baluchistan, kill women in the name of Karo Kari, day in and day out.

    Its a shame and true fact that most of these Feudal lords have high influence in the Political setup in Sindh and Baluchistan

  13. Romeo Avatar
    Romeo

    Hassan Abbas,

    Looks like you just copy pasted the picture from BBC Urdu. How about you publish the picture of the actual culrprit of the crime too? The very people who killed those 5 women.

  14. Jusathot Avatar
    Jusathot

    It is both shocking and disgraceful to hear such barbaric rituals – whether it is by BNP or PPP walas. Such practices from the Age of Jahiliyya – and where have been the guardian of law all this while??? The way things are going on – it mau soon be Twilight Zone all over Pakistan – and not just in the tribal areas!

  15. Hassan Abbas Avatar
    Hassan Abbas

    Romeo,
    Of course I copy pasted the news.How could it have been otherwise?Do you think I was on the scene witnessing it! Believe me if I had been there I would have either shot the culprits or else ended up being buried with the victims.

    And I quoted the source-instablogs – also some one added BBC.But what is your gripe?If BBC reported it we should not post it here,or condemn the act?

    As far as BNP or PPP is concerned,both are involved;the report clearly states:”The incident was not reported in the media ‘due to the influence of a provincial minister Mr. Sadiq Umrani and his brother Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani, from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party who are believed to be involved in the brutal murder’”

  16. Romeo Avatar
    Romeo

    Hassan Abbas,

    I didn’t object to your reporting the news from other sources, but what I would appreciate is coming up with other details too (the pictures of Umrani who actually committed the crime).

  17. Zehra Khan Avatar
    Zehra Khan

    A tradition that should b respected and media should avoid it? That’s effing insane!! How sick r we mentally as a nation to allow actions of this sort? How sick r the men who allow this legally. I would like to abduct, beat, open fire on and then bury alive the women of Israrullah Zahri’s household…and then ask him to respect it! 🙂

  18. dr razahaider Avatar

    I don’t think, god will spare us for what has happened and for not making even voice.

    May god be kind enough to excuse us of our uncommitted sin and regard and forgive our helplessness and inability to change and punish these culprits?

    Shame on me, the constitution of Pakistan, the governance and the so called rule of the law of land, which in spite of, hearing the truth have not even bothered to arrest the culprit.

    May Lord grant the departed soul eternal peace and nib the evil and culprit within weeks of this incidence with punishment that remains the threatening point for generation to come?

    O lord have pity on us for not acting in a manly manner against such evils and for not exercising our masculine attitude to safe guard women and our children in a way as is expected from a man of honor.

    Who can be more grief and poor than these women’s who were buried alive before their soul can meet their almighty. Under no circumstances these culprits can withstand the premises of Islam as Muslim and I request our religious scholars and believers to take and move the resolution by disembarking theses bastards from the premises of Islam and Muslim .

    This is the only domain where we as citizen can create our own rule before and without the governance of this shameful government.

  19. SB chaudhary Avatar
    SB chaudhary

    I am working in saudi arab in qassem region in big hospital as an emergecy consultant , the tradion of buryying is still going here . one father buryed her daughter in desertwhile she was chatting in facebook with his net frd,and dontallow the females to love while they themselves do all what they wish , still i am cofused where is islam in this world and which country is following of the teaching Prophet Muhammod(mpuh) whose first revolution was to reinstate the respect of females in the socoiety, we have separated the relgion from tradition , we are following the tradtion not islam so. Allah punished the shaytan only due to his disobediancey .while we are throughly disobeying the teachings of quran and his prohet , so……. are we muslim ?,,,,, The Senator must be punished for openly violating the main teachings,, but who will do this becoz all are naked in this hamam

  20. temporal Avatar

    the disgust i felt when i read about this first (couretsy klasra’s column in jang) and then here cannot be put into words

    forget islam
    forget pakistani
    forget baluchi

    if these reports are true (they are so incredulous)…..i cannot think of a punishment suitable for this fellow….sheesh!

    and where are our danishwars and anchors and human rights leaders?

    are they still chasing and barking after Mushy’s (invisible) car?

  21. Ding Dong Avatar
    Ding Dong

    No independent judiciary to deal with this.

    Shame on the PPP.
    Shame on the PPP.
    Shame on the PPP.
    Shame on the PPP.Shame on the PPP.
    Shame on the PPP.Shame on the PPP.
    Shame on the PPP.Shame on the PPP.
    Shame on the PPP.Shame on the PPP.

  22. Hokage Rajput Avatar
    Hokage Rajput

    This senator needs slap for his ignorance and punishment for supporting wrong thing.

    Is he saying that it is baluch tradition, all baluch do the same things, same as non-belivers did during Hazrat Muhammad SAW time,then i think they need to check who are these, if Baluch or Muslim, then they are fighting using Islam name, Taliban, if their own tradition contradict Islam teachings. Or it is tribal things mixed with few teachings of Islam for their personal beneifts (Lords , Sardar only)
    like Saudi Arab.
    Who said Women cant work, cant have education in Islam, it depends how she is contributing and in which manner. Hazrat UMAL-MOMENEEN KHATEJA-TUL-KUBRA RA was a trader, Fatima al-Fihri, who founded the oldest academic degree granting university of Morocco origin in 841, Mandika Muslim Lady who financed the Sankore University in 12th Century are couple of examples from so many.

    Dear brothers and sisters it us who can change these things , we dont have to wait for any one to come and help. NO govt. human rights,polical leaders , it will be us.Islam is the only yardstick and dont be afriad of Islam that it will push us back to old age or stone age. You expect that the Allah said Muhammad is his massenger and Quran along with Sunnah is guidance till the day of Judgement, then he might forget that human will get developed and need some thing new, we are thinking that HE was not wise enough when he gave Quran to Hazrat Muhammad SAW. Nopes that is a challenge of One and Only Allah, just imagine he knows us more then us and HE dont know what will be changes in future. We yet have to discover wht is going on in near universe ad we are telling him that Islam is not for future, completly disagree with this thinking.It is not windows 96,97 2000 or Windows vista to meet change in the market and usage. We need to open Quran and Sunnah and practically application is the only solution.

    We are muslim no moderate muslim/Islam, i will recomend this site for our information.

    http://www.muslimheritage.com/

    Take care

    remember all muslims in your prayers

    Salaam

  23. Mocha Avatar
    Mocha

    90s are back.

  24. Silence Avatar
    Silence

    This is one incident out of millions which are taking place every day in ‘tribal regions’, although its shoking and shamefull but reality is that its too common.

    People who are aware what happens in tribal culture (most of internet warrior never had time to visit any remote tribal region)know very well that it happens there every day and as retard ‘senetor’ said its part of ‘Baloch’ culture. But being condoned from a member of ‘senate’ is painful and frustrating, he must be condeming it and working for a change in mind set.

    For purely educational purpose…..Here are few tribal laws!

    1.If any women is thought to be ‘bad character, she is decleared as ‘Kali’ or ‘Kari’, consequently she is handedover to “chief of Tribe’ who will later conduct an open auction and sell her to highest bidder, money will go to womens family.

    2.If a man murders some one, he will come home,kill his wife and sister and claim that both had illicit relation and get exonorated by ‘tribal jirga’ as there is never a proof.

    3. In most of the murder cases, the ‘chief’ will decide the ‘blood money’ for victums family along with the number of women to be given to victums family as a compensation.

    These are just few examples!

    All these acts of ‘chiefs’ in tribal areas of Baluchistan and Punjab are protected under “Provencially Administrated Administrated Area’s Rules” or commonly reffered as PATA rules, the decision of chief is protected by law.

    The regular police have no access to these area, which are administrated by “Border Military Police” notoriously called “BMP” and conists the members of respective tribe recommended by tribal chief and mostly his family members.

    This is just a bried picture, for those who have no idea about the situation.

    Why these laws are not changed and tribal areas are not brought under regular laws is a seperate debate, if someone is intrested, I can explain him/her individually but it wont be proper to write here.

    None of human rights groups has ever voiced against these laws……why…some ‘hidden hand’ wont permit!

  25. Silence Avatar
    Silence

    And one more things, 10 years back we a group of lawyers challanged the “PATA rules” before High Court to be abolished, the petation is still pending although the honourable judge hearing the case has been retired and now reappointed by Musharraff as judge of Supreme Court.

    Wake up warriors and do something practical if you are serious, if simply ‘keyboard’ revolutionaries, then keep crying here!

  26. MALIK AMAN Avatar
    MALIK AMAN

    why don’t the bughti’s stand up to this injustice too why they are silence on this topic only becoz it was done by balochis themselves if this would have been done by any other person belonging to anyother province inside balochistan i am sure this same man would have been crying like a pig

  27. Sana Avatar

    How many men do we see killed din the name of honor ?. We live in a society cripple d at the hands of man-made culture!. Shouldnt death penalty be instructed for this man who proposes the brutal act to be in the name of honor ? . Sad sad !

  28. Silence Avatar
    Silence

    can u go out with your wife or sister?

    A thousand animals will looking on her untill she dont feel comfortable!

    None of us wants to criticise themselves, each of us critacise others and puts a price tag on it…can 10 guys here promise me that they and their friends wont e staring at girls in street?

    It will make a big difference if a small number of people starts a campaign to behave humanily rather then shouting on others and all behaving like animals.

    Life of 5..yes, we have to criticise a Baloch animal, but who will teach us, is not it happening in Karachi, Lahor and Islamabad..20 cars will stop beside a girl walking on street…….obviously that animal Senator is not driving, its me and you.

    Change yourseles and then try to change others.

    Who will come out to tell law enforcement agencies that his brother/father/friend is corrupt?

    Its in your hands my friends! Tou are sincere, come out of crowd, no body cares what a crowd is shouting while burning in a fire set up by themselves.

  29. Chohan Avatar
    Chohan

    Silence,

    Yes people make life difficult for girls walking in streets of Karachi, lahore etc etc, but does that justify the reason to bury 5 women by people in Baluchistan?

    Is staring at girls a crime equal to that of burying 5 women alive? Wakeup dude, simply CONDEMN THIS ACT even if these people belonged to Pakistan Peoples Party or even if they were from Baluchi tribe.

    People in Karachi and Lahore may be as corrupt, but then does it make this crime less condemnable?

    Lets say all the people in Karachi and Lahore are regular customers of prostitutes, then would that justify burying 5 women alive in Baluchistan?

  30. KarimG Avatar
    KarimG

    I guess what is happening is that the event has shocked most of the contributors here to the extent that we are all reflecting and trying to come to grips with what has happened. I agree that the first step in the process has to be an unconditional condemnation but it is also true that we must ALL as members of this society share the blame, for having made excuses and tolerated this culture for so many years. This business with NAMOOS and AURATZAD and all the other crap that our elders, our clerics and even our movies perpetuate and promote has installed a male dominated society. Women, the female segment of the human species, the bearer of life in the womb has been relegated to second class citizen at best and in some cases is treated no better than cattle. Under whatever guise that we choose, we can continue doing what we have been doing and squander the talents of the half of the population (women), relegate them indoors and take away their rights, BUT then we will have to accept that what happened in Balochistan is just a more egregious example of a modus operandi.
    I suggest that let God decide what is moral what is not, if we believe that there is a judgment day then let the BIG GUY do his job and not interfere in his affairs, lets not allow ourselves to confine, harm , discriminate in the name of honour or any other excuses. Let our mothers, sister and wives live free and punish those who have violated them. Punish them for having infringed on the rights of another human being, a female human being. Leave the judgement of morality where it belongs, lets just protect rights!

  31. FAREED SHAH Avatar
    FAREED SHAH

    We muslims need education,the real cause behind all these incidents is our illiteracy.We don’t know the respect of human.Forget communities,clans,Be a muslim,there is no Pathan,Sindhi,Muhajr etc.in Islam.We all are muslims.Please be a muslim.
    cool shah

  32. Wakas Mir Avatar

    Nice points silence and the rest of you. But the thing is that something really has to be done here. And it’s true most of us will talk on the net and never be able to do anything apart from shouting and screaming over the “justice” happening in Balochistan. But I am sure there has to be some way we can develop something online that can put all those in charge on track and force them to make decisions hmm petitions or something

  33. Rights? Avatar
    Rights?

    Wakas Mir,

    Media is the only org that can effectively do something about it. But GEO, ARY and other channels do not have time to help the society. All they care about is what SELLS.

    If they had conscience, they would have tried to educate the society through the programs about morals, honesty, sincerity, tolerance…BUT I guess they are so dumb that they can not sell these noble ideas.

    On a second note, our whole system is a Chaos because from the begining we didn’t want merit to be the standard. Rather our politicians (like Bhutto) in order to be popular, implemented policies to give free food to the people. So people who didn’t qualify on merit were now qualified becaues of their locality. Offcourse he became popluar, but in essence it fu#ked our country big time. It fu#ked the Industry, it fuc#ed the civil services, it fu#ked the education and thus every thing else in the society.

    Now we are just reaping the crop of those seeds that generation sowed.

  34. Tariq Avatar
    Tariq

    this man Senator Israrullah Zahri should be BAN from entering in any civilized country. he talk about tradition of bloch nation,i am sure there are many bloches who are ashmed of him, he is an ass i want to see how he treat his womens. no wounder peron like him are the reason that most of the world think that we treat womens with no respect.
    if he ever come to USA i will make sure to arrange a protest with local womens rights group and will ask US govt not to let this man in here,and xepose him for his idea about womens. and i am sure there are many who will join me for this cause.

  35. Imran Ali Bajwa Avatar
    Imran Ali Bajwa

    its an cruel activity
    but why we comment on this incident only?
    you people must read tomorrow’s News paper’s crime page there u read a lot of incidents of killings of women even of big and so called educated cities of punjab

  36. kulsoom Avatar
    kulsoom

    i read all people’s comments. i just want to share one thing that all of us shouting after reading one news, but everyday news papers indicating us number of women and children regarding domestic violence, swara, vani, honor killing, early age marriage etc, but who rais voice against these crimes, except few civil society activists and journalist,who face threatened from those who have authorities and money power. you can read previous news paper and will easily fond that how they threatened them. i can’s sleep when i read this type of news or hear that somewher somebody thrown her child to safe herself (because society will punish her not that man who commit this crime with her consent or without)
    i agree with silence, we need to change our own behavours, if we want to see change in our society. we should start from our homes, then stand infront of other.

  37. Shahzad Zahri Avatar
    Shahzad Zahri

    There is a hidden truth most people dont know that the grandmother of Senator Mr. Israrullah Zahri's was buried alive some 18 years back.

  38. Israr Zehri Avatar
    Israr Zehri

    Israrullah Zehri is one of the most corrupt politicians in a long line of zehri family. He murdered his own brother for wealth and is currently backing anyone in his constituency who will help him grab more land, thus backing of the killers of innocent girls. Ref: http://www.wikimir.com/israrullah-zehri

  39. H.A.Jafri Avatar
    H.A.Jafri

    only MQM can destroy this fudal culture, just give them a chance and u will see that this israrullah zahri will be hanged naked!!!

    1. ibrahim Avatar
      ibrahim

      Yeah,

      what about hanging the murderers who are office bearers in MQM itself? you want example? Altaf Hussain, this SOB had murdered SHOBI, Azeem Tariq and other numerous MQM workers who refused to blow Peer Sahib.

      And sure the murderers should be hanged including Imran Farooq, Saleem Shahzad, Safdar Baqri etc etc.