Asma Rani’s murder case: Marwat Qaumi Jirga objects to settlement procedure

LAKKI MARWAT: The Marwat Qaumi Jirga on Monday refused to attend an event to be arranged next Sunday in Kohat to reconcile the families of late Asma Rani and her killer Mujahid Afridi.

The jirga held a meeting, with Alhaj Aslam Khan Issakkhel and former federal Secretary Akhtar Munir Khan in the chair and was attended by a large number of elders of various clans of Marwat tribe.

Speaking on the occasion, Faridullah Khan Minakhel, Akhtar Munir Khan Marwat, Alhaj Aslam Khan Issakkhel, Humayun Begukhel, Waheed Aslam advocate and others said that Ghulam Dastageer, the father of slain medical student Asma Rani had not taken them into confidence about the settlement.

They said that it was strange that he had invited the elders of Marwat tribe through social media instead of visiting them in person to do so.“We have taken our hands off the settlement and it’s now up to him [Ghulam Dasatgeer] whether to forgive the accused or not,” Akhtar Munir Marwat said.

They said there was no doubt that they had stood by him in the early stage of the case but for three long years he did not bother to contact the jirga members.Faridullah Khan Minakhel said: “We have neither been contacted by Ghulam Dastageer nor we have objection to the settlement but its procedure is not appropriate as a matter of principles the accused party should have come to Lakki Marwat rather than asking Marwat elders to go to Kohat for settlement.”

Asma Rani, a medical student, was shot dead allegedly by Mujahid Afridi in the year 2018 over

her refusal to accept the marriage proposal made by the latter.A court had later awarded a death sentence to Mujahid Afridi. This prompted his family to enter into a compromise with the family of late Asma Rani to save his life.