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Pakistan: Citizens petition against shocking appointments of Zehri and Bajarani as ministers

by sacw.net, 19 November 2008

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Please sign this petition against the appointments of Bijarani (the man who ordered that 5 minor girls be given as compensation for a murder) and senator Zehri (who openly defended the practise of honour killings) as ministers. It should take less than a minute of your time.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/IHI?e

The petition

Join us in showing our utter disgust and shock at the insensitivity of our government by rewarding two individuals for perpetuating violence against women in our country.

A barbaric incident took place in Jafarabad district where women were brutally murdered and buried alive in the name of honor. The main accused are still at large. However, the Senator who defended this barbarism has been appointed as a Federal Minister.

According to Daily Dawn (August 29, 2008), "Balochistan Senator Sardar Israrullah Zehri stunned the upper house on Friday when he defended the recent incident of burying alive three teenage girls and two women in his province, saying it was part of our tribal custom."
Thank you, Mr. President! This landmark appointment is not only going to promote "HONOR KILLINGS" but it has shamed us as a nation. His appointment proves total disregard of human and women rights in our country.

Another, landmark appointment has been that of Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani. According to Daily Times (August 16, 2007), "Marriages of minor girls in compensation for murder: SC orders arrest of MNA (Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani), 11 others."

The same MNA, Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani has been rewarded with the portfolio of Ministry for education. Thanks to our newly appointed Education Minister, 5 minor girls were to pay the price of someone else’S crime---again in the name of culture! There is video evidence of his involvement in this criminal offence against innocent minor girls.
The arrest orders of Mr. Bajarani came from a five-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, which took up a complaint that five girls, Aamna, 5, and Bashiran, 2, (daughters of Rahmatullah), Shehzadi, and Meerzadi, 2, (daughters of Hafeezullah), and Noor Bano, 3, (daughter of Yar Ali) were given for marriage to the victim’s family as compensation to settle a murder case, in a traditional practice known as Sang Chatti. The bench included Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar and Justice M Javed Buttar.

Thank you again, Mr. President for perpetuating the custom of ’Sang Chatti’. Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani a declared criminal has been given the charge of education. Our nation’s children are indeed in safe hands!
We refuse to accept these two appointments! All those who remain silent are condoning it. The real crime is not Zehri promoting Honor Killings or Bajarani promoting Sang-Chatti but for the government to reward them with ministries! SHAME! SHAME!

Sign the petition here

P.S.

Civil society organizations are arranging a campaign against the appointment of Zehri and Bajarani. Do join us on the 27th Nov. at 12:30 pm in front of National Assembly