Pakistan: Zina judgement quashed by court

The petitioner claimed that she is one of those oppressed rural girls who have been denied the right to choose and the right to say, who face death by shooting, burning or killing with axes if they are deemed to have brought so-called "shame" on the family by daring to marry men of their own free will or by divorcing forcibly imposed so-called husbands. According to our rural men it is criminal to marry of one's own free will. They feel sympathy with lovebirds in novels & movies and show disgust and disapproval to such trends in real life. They have been killing in the name of so-called honour (Karo Kari) and they consider a woman's life so worthless that anyone should be allowed to take it. 

Her lawyer argued that in recent years the media has achieved some freedom and has focused on the plight of oppressed sections of the society like the rural women. Newspapers, magazines and Human Rights and Women's Organizations have also become active imparting awareness to the unaware of their fundamental, constitutional, legal and human rights in the light of that information the petitioner also decided to exercise her right to choose and when her father and other relatives forced her for their ulterior purposes to marry an elderly sick person, she refused to marry him.

Fatima told the court that since the day of her refusal the petitioner was kept virtually as a prisoner against her will in illegal confinement and subjected to hardships and oppression and was beaten in order to compel her to agree to be taken away by a sick old man. Due to the above mentioned cruel acts of the relatives the hatred in the mind of the petitioner reached up to the extent that it became impossible for her to stay with them and sometimes she even thought about the suicide. In those moments of depression and hopelessness one Shahnawaz s/o Ali Khan r/o Village Shahlam Khan, Omarkot appeared as a symbol of hope and trust and the petitioner decided to marry him.

Ultimately the petitioner left her home and on 18-03-2002  and the Nikah was performed in Khipro, they were tied into matrimonial bonds and  an affidavit was also sworn by the petitioner before the Civil Judge and Ist Class Magistrate Khipro on 18-03-2002. On 28-03-2002 at 7-00 pm her father along with 6 unknown persons armed with pistols and other weapons attacked at the home of her in-laws in search of the girl  and told her in laws that they have got a case No. 05/2002 registered against the petitioner and her husband at PS Bodlo Farm under section 10/16 Zina and Hudood Ordinance (Islamic Law against the adultery) and they will kill them as karo and kari.

Since then the police is also raiding their houses and she apprehends that she would be abducted and killed. Prominent young lawyer Ayaz Latif palijo argued that the full bench of Honourable  Federal Shareeat Court has held in PLD  1981 FSC  308 that, "the marriage of a woman is like the sale of her property. Just as after achieving adulthood she has right to part with her own property without seeking the permission of anyone else, so she has the right to give over her person in marriage also without the consent of any wali."  He further argued that Hon Sindh High Court has also held in 1999 PCrLJ 648 that, "continuation of the proceedings under FIR u/s 452 PPC and 10 and 11 of offence of zina (Enforcement of Hudood Ord. 1979) would cause unnecessary harassment and humiliation to the petitioner and her husband, would deprive them from leading a peaceful and undistributed married life and amount to abuse of the process of law."

In this historical case Additional Advocate General appearing on behalf of the police and state opposed the prayer of Fatima and requested that she maybe sent to Mirpurkhas with police for legal requirments and the concerned Police Officer present in the Court  requested for her medical checkup. On this Ayaz Latif Palijo agued that if she would be sent to Mirpurkhas she will be killed by her relatives. Later under the instructions of Mr. Justice Atta-U Rehman her statement was recorded on the same day in the Court of Judicial Magistrate 3 Hyderabad where she expressed the desire to go with Shah Nawaz thus she was accordingly released to go with him and the F.I.R. will be disposed of immediately.