In a harrowing case out of the Mohabbat Dero area of Kandiaro, Sindh, another innocent girl has allegedly fallen victim to the outdated and illegal jirga system, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.
According to the details, Faiza Channa, a young girl who was subjected to sexual assault and died under mysterious circumstances two weeks ago, sparking national outrage and a high-level investigation.
According to a local 'Wadera' (landlord) named Azizullah Dheraj, the victim’s family are his employees. He claimed that after the incident of rape, both families insisted on a jirga to settle the matter.
He said during the jirga proceedings, the boy’s side was fined Rs400,000, and it was decided that the victim would marry the accused. In addition, two other girls were to be given in marriage to Faiza’s family as compensation—a practice known as vani.
However, Faiza’s grandmother rejected these claims and accused the same landlord of being involved in her granddaughter’s abduction and eventual death.
She stated that Faiza had been entrusted to the landlord’s 'Saam' (custody), and the accused abducted her from his premises.
In response, landlord Azizullah denied the girl was in his custody, claiming instead that she visited his house frequently but was not left there as a trust.
The landlord further said he didn’t know whether Faiza consumed poison herself or was forced to ingest it, as she was not in his care at the time of her death.
DSP Majeed Arain of Sindh Police stated that preliminary reports suggest Faiza’s death resulted from an overdose of sleeping pills. However, the exact cause of death will only be confirmed after the post-mortem report is finalised.
The police officer added that Faiza’s grandmother is accusing other family members of murder, while the landlord’s involvement and his jirga’s decisions are also under investigation.
The DSP emphasised that samples from the victim's dead body have been collected and preserved for forensic testing, which will be sent to the lab the next morning.
He also revealed that the police were not informed of the original incident involving Faiza two weeks earlier, either by the family or by the landlord, despite the claim she was either abducted or staying with them.
On the other hand, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and demanded a full report from the Inspector General of Sindh Police and the Chief Secretary.
The Chief Minister condemned the use of the jirga system to justify crimes, particularly those involving so-called honour.
"Rituals and traditions cannot justify murder. Those who make such decisions in jirgas are criminals themselves," CM Sindh said. "We will not tolerate the killing of women in the name of honour. Justice will be ensured for the victim’s family."
Reporters: Imtiaz Raza and Aajiz Jamali