Seeking justice

A gory tale of domestic violence

By Abdullah Khoso

Ali Muhammad Themore, 22, was still persistent to stay longer besides her mother's grave in Ismail Themore village, about 50 kilometers to the south-west of Badin. He and four dozen other people -- including his maternal aunt, uncle and human right activists -- were waiting for the arrival of a board of doctors and police for the autopsy of Rahiman Themore, 45. But they did not turn up on the day and sent message to Ali, the son of Rahiman, that due to some personal problems they cannot make it and will now come on June 8.

Ali's hope for the justice had increased when after a month-long struggle the Badin Sessions Court judge had ordered not only the registration of Ali's first information report (FIR), but also ordered for the postmortem of his mother. Now with this gesture of medical board members, his hope has again changed into pessimism. "What if the doctors had come to examine my mother and had helped us to get justice," he says sadly.

Rahiman, mother of seven children, had died on April 22. "My father, Jumo alias Chitto, tortured my mother some months ago and did not let anybody to take her to hospital. As a result, she passed away on April 22," Ali informs. He adds that Chitto (which means 'mad' in Sindhi) had always tortured his mother in his absence: "I used to argue a lot with him and fought too, but could not save my mother. My father had placed a ban on my entry into our home."
Ali informs that when her mother died, his father did not tell anybody and buried her with the support of a few friends and relatives without any rituals. He tried persistently to get his complain lodged with the Shaheed Fazal Rahoo Police Station, but the concerned deputy superintendent of police (DSP) did not entertain him. One of the reasons for this was that the Chitto's brother, Adam Themore, is a worker of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Besides his political affiliation, Adam is also famous for his criminal activities.

On May 30, after the Badin Sessions Court judge's order under the CRPC A&B, the DSP asked the station house officer (SHO) of Shaheed Fazal Rahoo Police Station to register Ali's FIR. Still the police have as yet not taken any action against the accused, who are free to harass those family members and human rights activists who want to bring them to the justice. Also, Rahiman's relatives have migrated from the village due to continuous threats from Chitto and other accused in the case.

In response to a complain from Ali and his maternal uncle, the Badin Sessions Court judge ordered the Hyderabad Director General Health on June 7 to form a medical board for conducting Rahiman's autopsy. On June 14, the DG formed a medical board comprising five members to examine the dead body on June 23, but this did not take place either and drove Ali to desperation.

Abida Jamali, a local human rights activist, says, "Rahiman's son Ali has been running from pillar to post to get the justice for the wounded soul of his mother." Abida adds that she has come across several physical torture and murder cases in the vicinity, but she has hardly seen anyone else pursue the case like Ali. "There is a dire need that all men join us to eliminate physical torture against women," she stresses.

Salam Memon, another social worker of the area, tells that physical torture against women is not uncommon in neighbouring villages. Women are tortured with punches, kicks and sticks. In his view, about 60 to 70 percent women in the neighboring villages are tortured. "We have been working to raise awareness about the rights of women, but it requires large-scale mobilisation. Rahiman's murder merited just a few words in the local newspapers," he laments.

About two years ago Pakistan became a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, but sadly it has as yet not ratified its Convention against Torture (CAT). Only signing a convention does not make any difference and a lot of work needs to be done for curbing heinous acts taking place against women in our country. According to unofficial figures provided by the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), in 2007 about 2,300 cases of violence against women were reported in Pakistan. Of these, 1,739 fell under the category of physical abuse, while 72 women were brutally murdered.

Rahiman's murder can be looked from two aspects. One, her son is determined to pursue the case irrespective of the fact that his father would go to jail as a result. Two, the system of getting relief and justice is very painstaking. Initially Ali struggled to get the case registered against his father, because the DSP did not entertain him. Finally, after an unremitting hue and cry, he got the case registered but even this seems to be of no use. "Chitto is openly roaming in the area for two months, but the police have not arrested him yet," Ali laments.

(Email: abdullahkhoso@hotmail.com)

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