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Express Tribune
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Alleged forced conversion, marriage of three Hindu girls sparks protest
After Sanghar district an identical case of alleged abduction and forced conversion of religion of three Hindu girls has surfaced in Tando Allahyar district where Kolhi and Meghwadh families have also lodged FIRs with the police. Three separate FIRs were registered on Sunday at Sultanabad police station stating that the young women were kidnapped from different localities in the limits of that police station. The parents also alleged that their daughters including Khenchi Kolhi, Lata Devi Meghwadh and Meena Meghwadh were compelled to change their religion to Islam on July 13. The Hindu community also staged sit-in demonstrations, demanding arrest of the alleged kidnappers. According to them, the girls were underage and, therefore, they cannot marry as per the law. Tanveer Brohi and Qadir Brohi have been accused in the FIR for kidnapping Khenchi; Saeed Ahmed Kharal, Ali Akbar Punjabi and Mashallah Brohi for Lata; and Ali Sher Brohi and Abdul Sattar Brohi, both brothers, for Meena. The FIR numbers 44/2025, 45/2025 and 46/2025 have been registered under sections 365/B and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The protest ended on the police assurance that they would arrest the accused and recover the young women. Meanwhile, on Tuesday all the three women appeared before the Sindh High Court Hyderabad Circuit Bench along with Tanveer, Saeed and Ali Sher. They declared before the SHC that they have willingly changed their religion and that they have married the three men. The women also changed their Hindu names to Muslim names after the conversion. Their new names are Kalsoom, Bisma and Samaima, they apprised the court which granted protective bail to the couples. The Sindh Human Rights Commission's Chairman Iqbal Ahmed Detho on Tuesday wrote a letter to SSP Tando Allahyar, asking him to ensure a fair investigation of the matter especially with regard to the ages of the young women. He reiterated that if they were underage, the solemnization of the marriages would amount to Sindh Child Marriage Restrain Act, 2013.
Express Tribune
15-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Man mistakenly flown to Jeddah sues airline
An engineer who was mistakenly flown to Jeddah instead of Karachi by a private airline has moved the Sindh High Court (SHC), seeking a thorough investigation into what he termed a case of "gross negligence by the airline and immigration authorities." The petitioner, Malik Shahzain, filed the plea through Advocate Nawaz Dahri, alleging that due to the airline's incompetence, he was wrongfully put on an international flight without even carrying a passport. According to the petition, Shahzain was scheduled to travel from Lahore to Karachi but was instead boarded on a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon landing in Jeddah, he was detained by Saudi authorities, questioned, and later deported back to Lahore. He stated that the ordeal caused him severe mental distress and public humiliation, raising serious questions over how airport security and immigration protocols failed to detect such a glaring error. He contended that being flown to another country without documentation exposed lapses that could point to deeper systemic failures. Terming the incident not just negligence but a potential case of human trafficking, the petitioner called for the formation of a JIT to probe the matter. Shahzain stated that he was subjected to degrading treatment abroad as a direct consequence of the negligence of the airline and concerned authorities, who, he added, must be held accountable for endangering his safety and dignity.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Aurat March stands with director Jami
Aurat March has issued a statement in support of filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood, widely known as Jami, following his conviction under Pakistan's criminal defamation laws. In an Instagram post, Aurat March said, "Pakistan's criminal defamation laws are a powerful tool to silence survivors of sexual violence and their allies." The group added, "Jami's conviction under these unjust laws is a reminder that the legal system does not support survivors, it punishes them." The current case began at the Lahooti Melo festival in 2019, where Jami read out a letter written by an alleged victim of sexual harassment targeted by a "music video and TVC director". He later posted about it without naming anyone. However, he shared a screenshot from another victim's account, which had Sohail Javed's name in it. Javed subsequently filed a PKR1 billion defamation suit against Jami, claiming that the public reading of the statement had damaged his reputation and caused him "mental torture." On July 8, a sessions court in Karachi found Jami guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison. The verdict drew criticism from activists and the creative community, who argued that the conviction would discourage survivors and their supporters from speaking out. Both parties were previously ordered by the court to maintain the status quo and refrain from further public statements about the case. On Thursday, the Sindh High Court granted bail to Jami. In 2015, Jami's film Moor was selected as Pakistan's official entry for the Academy Awards and bagged a screening at the 46th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). "It's slightly abstract for a Pakistani audience. Critically, it's one of the best, but financially, it's probably the worst right now. The film was not for the masses, and we had 11AM screen timings. I mean, nobody would come on a weekday at 11AM. We were sidelined as an art film," Jami told IANS after the film's release.
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Aurat March condemns Jami's conviction under defamation laws
Aurat March has issued a statement in support of filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood, widely known as Jami, following his conviction under Pakistan's criminal defamation laws. In an Instagram post, Aurat March said, 'Pakistan's criminal defamation laws are a powerful tool to silence survivors of sexual violence and their allies.' The group added, 'Jami's conviction under these unjust laws is a reminder that the legal system does not support survivors, it punishes them.' The case began at the Lahooti Melo festival in 2019, where Jami read out a statement written by an alleged victim of sexual harassment targeted by a "music video and TVC director" at a music festival. He later posted about it without naming anyone. However, he shared a screenshot from another victim's account, which had Sohail Javed's name in it. Javed subsequently filed a Rs1 billion defamation suit against Jami, claiming that the public reading of the statement had damaged his reputation and caused him 'mental torture.' In June, a sessions court in Karachi found Jami guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison. The verdict drew criticism from activists and the creative community, who argued that the conviction would discourage survivors and their supporters from speaking out. Both parties were previously ordered by the court to maintain the status quo and refrain from further public statements about the case. On Thursday, the Sindh High Court granted bail to Jami. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Karachi activist challenges new number plate fines in SHC
Listen to article A petition has been filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging the issuance of traffic fines for not displaying new Ajrak-themed number plates on motorcycles, Express News reported. The petitioner, social activist Faizan Hussain, argued that the directive from the DIG Traffic for strict enforcement has led to heavy fines rather than public awareness campaigns. He maintained that this approach is placing undue financial pressure on citizens amid high inflation. The petition calls on the court to restrain traffic police from issuing challans until a more accessible compliance mechanism is implemented. Earlier, he filed a petition in the SHC challenging the Sindh government's enforcement of Ajrak-themed number plates, citing public inconvenience, financial burden, and a lack of legal justification. He argued that vehicles are being unfairly penalised and called for the plates to be issued free of cost. The petition also highlighted delays, public harassment, and the rise of counterfeit plates due to the new policy. The Sindh government had issued a final deadline for vehicle owners to replace their number plates with the new design in January. Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation, Mukesh Chawla, announced that after April 3, vehicles displaying anything other than the newly issued plates will no longer be accepted. 'After April 3, only the newly issued Ajrak number plates will be considered valid in the province," he said. To streamline the process, he added that traffic police will be provided counters at civic centres and facilitation centres for a one-window operation. 'Traffic police check posts will also ensure that vehicles receive their new number plates within the stipulated time,' Chawla said. Additionally, the minister mentioned that vehicle transfers and tax payments for those with outstanding fines will be made conditional on the payment of these fines.
