The news of karo kari incident in Shikarpur reported last month in national press perhaps was not worthy to attract attention of people. But statement of Sindh Minister for Women Development Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto certainly had attracted the attention of many in which she admitted that the tradition of karo kari is still prevalent in Sindh with no let up in such incidences despite the ‘effort’ of various NGOs.
The incident, which occurred in Shikarpur, was that Javed Shah allegedly killed his sister Inayat Khatoon with an axe in his house in Town Committee Mohalla in name of honour and later went to Sitam Mohalla and axed to death his relative Mukhtiar Shah while the Chak police have registered a case and started investigation. But as practiced by our society, this news was erased from our minds.
While on the other side, addressing a meeting in Sukkur Ms. Tauqeer maintained  ministerial rhetoric as being done by her predecessors saying the government was taking steps for the development of women and to root-out the black custom of karo kari and practice of torture against women.
The million dollar question is that why this odious custom keeps on nourishing itself despite the fact that it is unacceptable to people belonging to every walk of life ranging from politicians to social figures and religious scholars to NGO persons.
A little brainstorming on the issues reveals that there are four factors which are empowering the karo kari and other honour-related crimes including Vani, Swara etc.
The first and above of all the authoritarian rule of tribal lords who live like kings in their ‘states’; the other dominant factor is role of NGOs in exploiting such cases instead of resolving such matters; inefficient and complex judicial system for failing to take prompt and effective steps against karo kari and last but not least the indifference of government functionaries owing to their strong links with tribal luminaries.
According to a report by Human Rights Commission, 1,205 honour killings were reported all over the country in 2007 showing the intensity of the problem existing in our country while over 300 cases of domestic violence were registered at police stations.
Most of these cases reported in the areas where tribal lords have their influence and people obey their orders. But why tribal lords favour karo kari and other kinds of honour killings.
A recent field survey shows that while the tradition of karo kari is deep-rooted in the tribal system, it has turned into a profitable business today. Karo kari (honour killing) is perhaps the only kind of crime, which is exclusively dealt with, and decided by, jirgas, a tribal system of law. At best, it can be compared to a tribal tax imposed by the powerful tribes on the weaker ones.
If a person is labeled as a karo, he has to pay a fine irrespective of whether the charge leveled against him is true or not. The fine today stands at 120,000 rupees.
Sunder Khan Sundurani, the chief sardar of Jacobabad, in an interview admitted that most of the karo kari cases were false accusations but he was unable to respond on how the menace could be controlled. “I know that most cases of karo kari are registered either to extort payment of the fine or to get rid of a loan. The tradition is also used to occupy one’s land or property,” said the Sardar.
One year ago, a retired major of the Pakistan army belonging to a powerful tribe of Bijaranis in Jacobabad was accused of being a karo by a farmer working at the major’s farm. According to the people of the area, the charge was baseless as the major had developed differences with the farmers on working conditions but, despite knowing this, the Sardar of the tribe ordered the major to pay a fine. “The major will have to pay the fine because the accusing party has earned notoriety,” the Sardar said. Though the major has not accepted the decision, locals say that, “the major will have to accept his decision if he wants to live in the area,” he said.
Though much has been written on karo kari, the intricacies of the system are still not fully understood. There are two types of karo kari cases: one is where the victims are killed on the spot while the other is where victims are made to pay a fine. The following is an example to illustrate how the latter case of karo kari works:
In most cases, a man will accuse a person of being a karo, i.e. developing extra-marital relations with any closely related woman of the accuser. The same person will also declare a woman whom he blames as a kari.
A man who is accused of being a karo is likely to escape and disappear once he is accused. Then the parents or other close relatives of the accused contact the Sardar and request him for khair, a local term used for peace. If the woman is accused of being a kari and somehow escapes an attack on her life she too is likely to escape and seek refuge at the kot of a Sardar. (Sometimes the woman takes refuge at the haveli of the Syeds of the area if the kot of the Sardar is too far).
Then the deal would be brokered by the Sardar while the accused women (kari) are usually being sold by their family to other tribes. The above discussion shows the reason of tribal lords’ interest behind such cases, which on other side shows lack of interest of government in ensuring its authority over these lords.
Now the case of NGO should be looked upon! Sindh Minister Tauqeer Fatima said our government did not believe in the politics of revenge but would probe thoroughly the funds given to NGOs during 11 years and warned that anyone found involved in corruption will be dealt according to law.
She said the government was conducting a survey of the NGOs and according to a report about two per cent were bogus but added it would be ascertained after the survey. She urged the government and non-government NGOs to work at grassroots level for the welfare of people.
Now looking at the saying of the minister it is easy to obtain two points: first corruption has been prevailing in NGOs and second is that existence of bogus NGOs.
As these NGOs, branded as bogus NGOs by some people, entirely dependent on funds particularly on foreign funds, they are always in search of issues to draw the attention of foreign organizations and to show their performance. The occurrence of honour killings provides them the issue to get heavy funds from international donors by exploiting the cases of kari in the name of her welfare. They do not think about taking measures to control the honour killing cases and about working against the tribal lords.
Now we will look into the legalities of the issue. On this aspect Legal experts stressed the need for an unambiguous legal system. There was a need of simplified and very clear legal system, which could also be understood by a common man, they argued and added it was in fact a crime that needed to be eliminated immediately for development of society.
They underscored the need for comprehensive and permanent approach in this regard, considering the sensitivities involved. “The law and punishment for honour-killing crime should be made strict and awareness among people on the issues of domestic violence and self-righteousness of women must be raised.”
At this point, we should see the point, which provide shelter to all the wrongdoings of above-mentioned sections of the society- that is indifference of government and its functionaries.
This is just as true as sun rises and sets everyday and declared by many as the root cause of the Karo-Kari and other forms of the honour killings. According to experts, the strong relation between the tribal bosses and government officials is one of the main reasons of government silence on honour killings. If government is determined to eliminate all such un-Islamic and immoral customs no one would dare to commit it and challenge the writ of the government, they believed.
Experts are of view that whole-hearted efforts are need of the hour to involve various strata of society like police, judiciary, academia and media for removing the menace imbibed in culture of not only Pakistan but also in many other countries.