Rinkal Kumari & Fakhra Younus–Victims of Pakistani Justice

 Rinkal Kumari & Fakhra Younus–Victims of Pakistani Justice

By Imran Hussain - Mar 28th, 2012

Rinkal Kumari, a 17 year old Hindu girl was abducted from interior Sindh and forced to change her religion after which she was forced to marry Naveed Shah.  When the eyes and ears of the people were glued to the supreme court of Pakistan to have some decision on 26^th March on this important case, the body of an innocent Pakistani woman who committed suicide in Italy was flown back to Pakistan. Fakhra Younus was the victim of another heinous crime on the Pakistani women which has strengthen it’s roots in the Islamic republic of Pakistan. 

These two stories are not linked together but share the same root causes, reasons and victims.  There are no regrets, no justice and no punishment on these cases where the crime scenario remains the same but the names and characters changed from time to time. Some times these characters belong to the feudal lords of Punjab and other times they are the well known and powerful waderas of Sindh. Bilal Mustafa Khar is the son of feudal lord and ex-governor Punjab Ghulam Mustafa Khar where as Mian Mitthu is the powerful land lord and MNA from Pakistan people’s party.

12 years ago, the beautiful and smiley face of Fakhra Younus was severely burnt when her husband Bilal Khar threw acid on her face. This face which was full of life, joy, energy and ambitions turned into the most disfigured face, a face which reminded us of the ugliness and extremism of our society. She was shifted to the hospital in Italy for her treatment but even after 39 surgeries in 12 long and painful years, the doctors failed to recover her face. The spirit and courage of Fakhra did not fail for a single moment; the failure was of the Pakistani society which even after a whole decade did not hang the culprits. Fakhra did not commit suicide because she lost hope to recover her face but the only reason behind this desperate act was that she lost her faith on the judicial system of Pakistan. She was subjected to extreme torture and severe pain on her body but who could feel the wounds on her soul, except the innocent Fakhra herself. She survived with the reality that she will not get her real face back again, she was ready to go through with 39 surgeries to heal her wounds but she decided not to compromise on her right to get fair trial and justice. She lost this challenge by committing suicide from the 6^th floor in Italy and the state of Pakistan failed once again to save another innocent and oppressed woman from committing suicide.

The pillars of the Pakistani state are failing again and again to deliver justice to the common and poor people of Pakistan.  The most important organ of the country “Judiciary “ has collapsed in Pakistan with police, lawyers and judges turning into the survival force and shield for the feudal lords, corrupt politicians, extremist forces and oppressors.

Rinkal Kumari was abducted on 24^thFeburary 2012 from Mirpur Mathelo, Sindh at gun point by the people belonging to Mian Mitthu, MNA from ruling party PPP.  She was then threatened to change her religion and converted to Islam where as her family was pressurized not to file any case. She was not only forced to change her religion against her will but her marriage took place against her will as well. She was produced in the lower court under the strict surveillance of armed men from Mian Mitthu and later appeared in the press conference saying that she wants to live with her so called husband Naveed Shah.

As the cases of forced conversions of Hindu girls to Islam increased in Interior Sindh, it came into the limelight of national and international media and human rights organizations started to raise their voice on this issue. Today, Rinkal was produced in the supreme court of Pakistan after CJP Iftikhar Chaudhary took suo motu action on her case. All the allegations made by her family came true when she told the court that she wants to go with her mother but Mr. Chaudhary sent her to the shelter home once again for 3 more weeks to re-consider her decision.

This is a chance given to her abductors once again by our supreme law commander to impose their decision against the will and desire of Rinkal Kumari.

Rinkal is Hindu but Fakhra was a Muslim woman but both met the same fate and destiny. No justice for Hindu, no justice for Muslim, no justice for women and no justice at all in Pakistan.

Yes, we can proudly say that our justice system is not partially but completely blind !!

courtecy -  The News Tribe