MANSEHRA: A court in Kohistan sentenced a man to death, jailed five others for life and fined them Rs200,000 each for their involvement in the murder of three brothers who had been seen dancing in a 2012 video, along with four women who were singing.
The video was unearthed by Mohammad Afzal Kohistani, another brother of the three men, who provided it to the media in order to seek protection for his brothers. He had expressed fears that his brothers would be killed by relatives of the women in accordance with local customs.
The three brothers — Shah Faisal, Rafiullah and Sherwali — were killed on Jan 4 last year.
Mohammad Afzal later claimed that the four women had also been killed. But, it turned out to be wrong when a fact-finding commission of the Supreme Court recorded the women’s statements in Kohistan.The commission had been formed by the then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on a suo motu notice.
The case was disposed of after the commission found the women alive and recorded their statements on June 16, 2012.
Mohammad Afzal claimed on May 29, 2012 that his brothers and the women were killed by their tribes after a jirga had declared them ‘morally deviant’ and sentenced them to death.
District and Sessions Judge of Kohistan Mohammad Arshad Khan announced the sentences after listening to the counsels of both sides.
The death sentence was awarded to Muktasar Khan who was present in the court. Those were jailed and fined are Shamsuddin, Yadool Khan, Taus Khan, Awal Khan and Yatazar Khan. They were found guilty of shooting to death the three brothers and injuring one Bin Yamin.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Mohammad Fazal — who still believes that the four women had been killed — appealed the Supreme Court to reopen the case.
He said he and human rights activist Farzana Bari had examined the video and claimed that the women who had been presented before the commission were not those seen in the video.
He demanded formation of a fresh commission to ascertain facts.