20 Panchayat members arrested for ordering rape

MULTAN: City Police Officer (CPO) Ahsan Younis has submitted a report of an incident to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in which it was revealed that a girl was allegedly raped in revenge on the order of Panchayat.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had sought a report from the CPO about the incident. One Umar Wada allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl at Muzaffarabad on July 16. Later, villagers asked the Bhullar Baradri Panchayat, headed by Ameen and Saeed, to decide the matter. Later, the Panchayat members asked the victim’s brother Ashfaq to rape the alleged rapist Umar’s sister as revenge which he did on July 18.

After the incident, Ashfaq’s family filed an application against Umar in the Multan Women Police Centre. When Umar’s parents came to know about the situation, they also lodged a complaint against Ashfaq.

Meanwhile, talking to The News, CPO Ahsan Younis said that a detailed report had been submitted to the Punjab chief minister about the incident. He said that Muzaffarabad police had arrested 20 Panchayat members while the police were conducting raids at Jalalpur Pirwala to arrest accused Umar. The CPO said that Muzaffarabad police had registered the case.

He revealed that the Multan Violence Against Women Centre had received a complaint on July 20 in which it was disclosed that accused Ashfaq had allegedly raped a girl. Later, the CPO added, he directed to a special lady investigator to probe into the matter.

After investigation, she reported him that the rape was a revenge, he told. Ahsan Younis said that when he further probed the matter, it was revealed that two girls were raped. He said that both parties belonged to the same tribe of Bhullar Baradri.

He said that another FIR of girl’s rape was registered while Muzaffarabad police had registered another FIR against 27 members of the Panchayat and 20 accused had been arrested.

The Multan CPO said that the investigation also revealed that exchange of rape was very common in this area particularly in Bhullar Baradri. When the police registered cases, both parties were going to the court to record their statements under 164 of mutual compromise but the police foiled their attempt and became complainant in the case.