Zarina Marri... a Woman like US !!

In late 2005, a 23 year old school teacher Zarina Marri was abducted along with her one year old son from Disstt: Kohlu and has been held incommunicado in an army torture cell. She has been repeatedly raped there and is being used as a sex slave, to induce arrested nationalist activists to sign state-concocted confessions.  

Until now Zarina Marri is still Missing.

Her presence in the army torture cell was revealed by Mr. Munir Mengal, the managing director of Balochi TV channel, who was arrested by the state agency and was kept in the torturous custody for nine months. Narrating his story to Reporters Without Borders ((Reporters Sans Frontières, RSF), the International Red Cross and at Woolwich Court in London, he said that once a necked  woman was thrown in to his cell and the army personal said that “You know what to do with her”. Where she told Mengal that her name is Zarina Marri  and that she belongs to the Kohlu area, headquarters of the rebel Marri tribe, a scene of a bloody insurgency that begun in 2005.  She has been accused of spying for the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA).

 She further begged Mengal to kill her as she has been undressed several time and can be no longer a sex slave.

Mr. Mengal further said that on the refusal to have sex with her, the intelligence officer severely injured his private part.

Mr. Munir Mengal was released from the military torture cell on 4th August 2007 and was held in a civilian jail on August 5th. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives met him in Khuzadar jail, where he provided them with a detailed briefing which they wrote down. The next day their doctor also checked the injured portion of his penis. Mr. Andrew Barterlays, the officer of ICRC who visited Mr. Mengal several times in jail, told Mr. Mengal that until he was out of custody the ICRC could not take up the issue of Zarina Marri, because both their lives would be threatened.

The Asian Human Rights Commission has already reported that 52 torture cells are run by the Pakistan army, please see following link (http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1574/), Karachi was stated to have three military torture cells. The testimony by Mr. Munir Mengal has revealed the most heinous methods of army torture, using young women as sex slaves to induce political opponents to sign the government-concocted confessions of terrorist and anti-state activity.

Zarina Marri is not only missing Baloch women among the missing persons. There are more to add:

·         Hazoori, age 35, house wife

·         Bakht Bibi, age 20, house wife

·         Naz Pari, age 35, house wife

·         Gul Bakht, age 31, house wife

·         Gul Naz, age 27, house wife

·         Muradi, age 8, student

·         Mehru marri, age 20, student

·         Laal Bibi, age 28, house wife

·         Bakht khatoon, age 23, house wife

And the list goes on………………………….

And by the way recent barbarous act of killing of Mir Bukhtiyar Domki’s wife and daughter in Karachi a month ago is still afresh in our minds.  

I am not writing this piece of paper because I am a baloch (that I am not) but being a woman. Women have been a victim of sexual harassment throughout the world. But how the “Alamadars of Peace” can be a part of such a filthy game? In the name of Allah All Mighty, where are those Ullema disappeared who love giving fatvahs against every single thing that is subjected to a woman’s chastity and modesty. Where are the molvis gone who love to terrify Muslims with their sermons in all Jumma Prayers? Where are the humans of Human Commission of Pakistan? Those entire activist who comes out on the street with ply cards and loud voices, why is silence now? So called elected government with not even a single word of consolation? Our judiciary blind? And above all, this Pakistani nation who is nothing but silent spectators…!!

I being a woman severely condemn the use of women as sex slaves by the Pakistan army and for keeping these women incommunicado. Pakistan is the signatory to Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) but women are being used as sex slaves in a gross violation of the Convention by army officers.

Pakistan proudly calls itself the Islamic Democratic State but its rulers appear to lack the courage to bring its own military into check. The government should ascertain the whereabouts of the women arrested from Balochistan province who have disappeared after their arrest, including Zarina Marri. It is the duty of the government to search for the missing persons taken by State intelligence agencies, who have held them in torture cells for many years. And if a full stop is not put to it then with due apology no one can stop Pakistan converting in to a barbaric state.

References:

 http://www.docstoc.com/docs/44068866/VOICE-FOR-BALOCH-MISSING-PERSONS-BALOCHISTAN-BIO-DATA-OF

http://www.nowpublic.com/

Asia human Rights Commission