Tag: Shangla

  • Man sentenced to life for abduction, marital rape of minor wife

    Man sentenced to life for abduction, marital rape of minor wife

    A local court in Shangla has convicted a person for the abduction and ‘marital rape’ of his minor wife and sentenced him to life imprisonment, and imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on him.

    Dawn’s Umar Bacha, in his report, states that the judge convicted the accused on two counts and sentenced him under section 365-b (kidnapping) of the Pakistan Penal Code to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs100,000 and to 25 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs200,000 under section 376 (rape) of PPC.

    The court acquitted seven of the convict’s family members due to a lack of evidence. 

    The lawyer appearing for the convict said that the victim was his client’s legal wife, and hence, he committed no offence.

    However, the judge, in his judgement, observed that a close and critical reading of section 375 PPC, defining the offence of rape, made no exception to marriage.

    “If the allegation of rape in marriage is ignored, yet another question is the victim’s juvenility. The victim, being just above 16 years of age, is still covered in the definition of ‘child,’ being under 18 years of age,” the verdict read. 

    The victim’s mother in the FIR stated that her husband died around ten years ago, and around two years ago, she arranged the Nikkah of her daughter (the victim) with the accused, but Rukhsati was yet to take place.

    She had put a demand to the family of the accused to arrange separate accommodation for her daughter before formal marriage, but they declined. She alleged that on the night of the incident, the accused, along with his father and four other relatives, barged into their house and forcibly took away the victim while the complainant, her son and another daughter were beaten and tied.

    In the beginning, FIR was registered for abducting the girl, but eventually, when she was recovered by police, different provisions of PPC and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, dealing with sexual assaults and sexual abuse, were also included in it.

    The girl, upon her recovery after four days, said in a statement that she was assaulted during captivity, and her medical examination also confirmed that she was subjected to sexual assault.

    The court eventually found the accused guilty of the offence of the abduction of the victim and having sex without her consent.

    Even though the lawyer Mian Safeer said it was the first-ever conviction in a case of ‘marital rape’ after amendments in 2021 but a man in Karachi was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of having non-consensual sex with his wife earlier in the year on January 20. 

    Read More: First ever conviction on Marital Rape opening new doors of discussion: A religious and legal context

  • CTD arrests terrorists involved in Shangla Suicide attack

    CTD arrests terrorists involved in Shangla Suicide attack

    The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested more than 10 terrorists and their facilitators involved in the recent suicide attack in Shangla’s Bisham city last week.

    The attack took the lives of six people, including five Chinese nationals, drawing widespread condemnation from the country’s civil-military leadership.

    Last week, a Chinese investigation team arrived in Pakistan to probe the unfortunate incident and expressed its interest to collectively work with Pakistani authorities. CTD sources said that the terrorist commander who was primarily responsible for bringing the suicide bomber into Pakistan has been arrested.

    Moreover, the explosive-laden vehicle used in the attack was made in Afghanistan and smuggled into Pakistan through the Pak-Afghan Chaman border crossing in Balochistan. From there it was transported to Chakdara in Lower Dir via a smuggler – who has also been arrested.

    The mastermind behind the attack has been named as Hazrat Bilal who is currently wanted by the authorities.

  • PM Shehbaz reviews security situation of Chinese citizens in high-level meeting

    PM Shehbaz reviews security situation of Chinese citizens in high-level meeting

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the security situation of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese citizens.

    After a suicide attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a high-level security meeting to assess and improve security measures for foreigners, especially focusing on Chinese residents in Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz also reviewed the overall situation of the country, however, the main focus was on the security of Chinese nationals.

    Federal ministers, heads of security agencies, inspector general of police, and other relevant authorities also participated in the meeting.

    All the participants in the meeting condemned the suicide attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla.

  • In a first, women to contest general elections in Shangla and Buner

    In a first, women to contest general elections in Shangla and Buner

    Dr. Sawera Prakash has become the first Hindu woman to contest from Buner, while Nadia Sher Khan has become the first woman to contest from Shangla, Swat.

    The elections, scheduled for February 8, mark a significant step towards inclusivity and representation in the region, traditionally known for its conservative values.

    Dr. Sawera Prakash, who has submitted nomination papers for both reserved seats of the National and Provincial assemblies, is affiliated with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for an impressive 35 years. She is now set to create history as the first woman to contest elections for the provincial assembly from constituency PK-25 on a general seat, reports Samaa News.

    The PPP, recognising her potential, urged her father Dr. Om Prakash, an active political and social worker, to bring his daughter into the political arena. Her father is known for his dedication to the welfare of humanity, and has played a pivotal role in serving both public and private sector health centers, reports Dawn.

    In Shangla, for the first time, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Nadia Sher Khan of Saidu Sharif, Swat, has submitted nomination papers for the Shangla’s PK-30 constituency. She is running for the general elections on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentariticket.
    A tough competition is expected between PTI and PML-N in this district.

  • Shangla doctor comes forward for coronavirus patient’s ghusal, funeral

    Shangla doctor comes forward for coronavirus patient’s ghusal, funeral

    After a man died of the coronavirus at a government hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla, nobody was willing to prepare the body for burial or offer the funeral prayers until one doctor stepped up.

    Dr Hafiz Sanaullah bathed the body, offered the funeral prayers and then buried it. The hospital is located in the Basham Tehsil.

    Dr Sanaullah said that he took a UNICEF course on how to handle the burials of coronavirus patients and followed the proper protocol while burying the patient.

    He further said that other members also followed protocol and bathed the body, covered it in the funeral shroud and plastic and then put it in a coffin.