News Analysis |
The brother of the main accused, Mujahid Afridi, in the murder case of Asma Rani, a medical student, was arrested on Tuesday. Asma Rani was a third year medical student in Abbottabad, she was visiting her family in Kohat during her session break when she was shot dead by Mujahid Afridi and his accomplice for reportedly refusing marriage.
Asma was returning to her home on Saturday with her sister-in-law when she was shot at by Mujahid and his accomplice Sajid. The culprits soon fled the scene; Asma received three bullet wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries according to police sources.
They demanded the government to place new safeguards for women against murder and rape, and a complete upheaval of the curriculum to remove elements that promote misogyny in the society.
Asma had identified the culprit as Mujahid in her initial statement at the hospital to the police. The victim’s family informed the police that the suspect is a relative of a local PTI leader and had been pushing pressure on them to allow him to marry Asma.
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A special team comprising of six senior police officials was formed by District Police Officer (DPO) Abbas Majeed Marwat to resolve the case on Monday. The DPO also approached the FIA for the issuance of red warrants against the accused.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police on Monday confirmed that the suspect Mujahid Afridi had fled the country to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa. The suspect, Saqibullah, caught today is the brother of Mujahid according to the police.
The culprits soon fled the scene; Asma received three bullet wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries according to police sources.
Crimes against women are an epidemic in Pakistan. The Women, Peace and Security Index ranked Pakistan as the fourth worst country for women in the world. Women rights activists condemned the murder of Asma and highlighted all the local practices that women are continuously a victim of, including Karo Kari, Watta Satta, Vani, Acid attacks and honor killings.
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The women and human rights activists blame these attacks on the patriarchal mentality of the society in which women are treated as commodities with no inherent will or opinions of their own. They demanded the government to place new safeguards for women against murder and rape, and a complete upheaval of the curriculum to remove elements that promote misogyny in the society.