Karachi (PPI): On an average over four persons were murdered while a person lost his life daily in so-called honor killings in Sindh during last eight months of current year. A report compiled by Aurat Foundation released Thursday said at least 1136 persons including 284 women, 17 minor girls among them, were murdered in different parts of the province. The data includes 225 persons including 144 women, who were murdered on pretext of Karo-Kari. According to AF report 73 women were injured on pretext of Karo-Kari and four women including minors were raped and murdered; 36 women gang raped, 40 raped and attempts of rape were made on 33 women. The month of May remained very heavy for the people of Sindh because it claimed more than fifty person’s lives including 48 murders on May 12 in Karachi.

According to data collected from citizens action committees (CACs) for women’s rights and media sources at least 89 women committed suicide and 108 others attempted to commit suicide owing to increasing unemployment, forced and under-age marriages, domestic problems, violence, poverty and conflicts. On the other hand, at least 109 women were kidnapped and 34 survived attempts of kidnapping; while 47 women disappeared. Some 137 couples got married through courts after leaving their homes and 109 women sought shelter owing to threats to their lives and dignity.

At least 117 women were arrested by the police under different allegations or in place of their accused male relatives who could not be arrested, while 35 women were physically tortured and some of them lost pregnancies during alleged raids by the police. Ghotki police arrested husband and his wife as they failed to produce a Nikahnama. Both were beaten up and dragged to the Police Station. The report said illegal Jirgas continued to be held in various parts of Sindh despite a ban imposed on this parallel system by the Sukkur Bench of the Sindh High Court. At least 72 Jirgas were held on women-related issues. One woman was declared Garhi (not involved in illicit relations) in a Jirga decision. More than 19 women were murdered by brothers in law on pretext of Karo-Kari or domestic conflicts in Kashmore, Sanghhar, Shikarpur, Larkana, Khanpur, Tangwani, Obaro, Lakhi and Ghhotki.