Widow gang raped on orders of Muzaffargarh panchayat

• Shehbaz Sharif takes notice, orders immediate action

LAHORE-

A 40-year-old widow was gang raped by the five men of her village on orders of a panchayat in Mauza Rakh Tibba Sharqi area of Muzaffargarh district.

According to media reports, police have arrested three of the accused rapists along with the Panchayat head while two remain at large.

Investigation Officer (IO) Assadullah Khan said that the police filed the FIR on a complaint of the victim against the five accused persons and made the arrests.

All efforts were being made to arrest the remaining accused as soon as possible, Khan added.

According to local sources, the woman was gang raped on orders of a Panchayat to avenge her brother’s illicit relationship with a woman.

The 40-member kangaroo court declared that ‘dishonour should be avenged by dishonour’ and ruled that the widow be gang raped by the family men of the woman with whom the widow’s brother had illicit terms.

On January 24, three men, including the father and two brothers of the woman, locked the widow in a room and carried out the ‘ruling’ of the Panchayat while its members waited outside.

Afterwards, the accused threatened the victim to keep quiet on the event or they would kill her.

Upon media reports of the event on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday took a strong notice of the incident and directed the concerned authorities to immediately apprehend the culprits.