It would be an honour to die with my head up than to live like a coward having my eyes down,

An interview by Farzana Ali Khan published by the Asian Human Rights
Commission

PAKISTAN: It would be an honour to die with my head up than to live
like a coward having my eyes down, Uzma says in an interview

Despite the huge offer made on part of the accused officials for
settlement of the case out of court, Uzma Ayub, a teenage pregnant
victim rejected the deal and said adamantly that she would fight
against them through court.

Uzma Ayub was kidnapped one year ago, held captive and repeatedly
raped by several persons, including policemen, had miraculously
escaped from her captors on September,19 while being six months
pregnant at that time now entered into eighth month of her pregnancy
had now vowed to seek justice, desperately, come what may.

Additional Session Judge Ihtisham Ali Takht-e-Nasrati in district
Karak on December, 4 did not confirm their bail before arrest and sent
them to jail for five days on physical remand.

In an interview with this scribe Uzma Ayub said, ''I don't know what
will happen next whether the criminals would be brought to justice or
be released after some time as a great number of influential people
are at their side but today I am happy as they would also realize how
it feels when one is detained.''

She said about 30 to 40 elders from ASI Hakeem Khan's area Gudikhel
including Shah Abdul Aziz member of provincial assembly on November, 2
had come to our house and said to my brother Alamzeb that Hakeem Khan,
Pir Mohsin Shah and Ameer Khan had confessed their crime before them
and wanted to compensate and ready to accept their demand whatever it
may be.

Again after asking the judge to adjourn the case till December, 2 and
then requesting for 24 hours more time, the party had been to the
aggrieved family in the evening with the same request but even then
Uzma and her family did not accept the agreement.

Uzma said, ''what about the abuse, torture and pain that I have
suffered because of them during the entire year when they had kept me
in confinement," adding "can anything in this world get me back that
one horrible year of my life which I was supposed to spend with my
family but these beasts made me spend it in a dark room'', she
questioned.

She said that the accused persons had threatened her and her family
as well asking them to take back the case or get ready for dire
consequences, but what more bad they could do to me as they have
ruined my life already and made me a woman before time, she added.

She said the last chance with the criminals is to kill her and her
family and they are ready for that too. ''For me it would be an honour
to die with my head up than to live like a coward having my eyes down,
in fact" she added saying she is as determined as was on the first day
when she had escaped from the captivity of the kidnappers.

To a query the soon would be single parent said, "It's true that the
child I am carrying in womb will always remain father less but what I
know this that I am his/her mother and the most painful stage is yet
to come when he/she will ask me the question. Adding still I am
determined to give birth to this child, rear and get it a respectable
status in the society."

She said though its natural in a Pashtun society not to accept an
unmarried woman with her fatherless child still the only thing that
console me is that my child is not an outcome of an adultery but its
existence is based on the malice on part of the men who are also a
part of the same society. And I hope that this society would accept
and treat my child like other children keeping this in view that I was
innocent.

''I could get rid of this child by doing abortion but my conscience
did not allow me to kill it as I know that it is a sin in Islam to
take life of a human being'', she said adding my life has already been
stigmatic even if I had rid myself of this baby still I wouldn’t
have not been given a respectable status but now at least I have got a
reason to live in the form of this child.

She said that I believe if Allah has made beasts like men i.e. Hakem
Khan, Pir Mohsin Shah and others He (Allah) would have also created
some kind hearted people as well who will definitely understand my
agony.

She further said it was quite easy to settle the issue with the
wronged persons with in the walls of our home and accept their
proposal but had I accepted the offer how would I live with the guilt
as only me and Allah knows what wrong and to what extent they have
done to me.

''You won't believe that I can't even sleep and nights when I recall
their brutality and I have got tired cursing them day and night'', she
said adding I want them to be given exemplary punishment so any other
man could never be able to dare and think of committing any such crime
in his life.

She said whatever she has suffered would never be healed, she knows
that well but she doesn’t want any other girl to become Uzma and
fall prey to such beasts.

With eyes welled-up she said, ''Even if I want still I can never
forgive them for their cruelty because they haven't hurt my body only
but also left scars on my soul which will never be visible to anyone
but I will feel and remember them always''.

She said different nongovernmental organizations had approached her
for financial assistance and asked them to create a minor account but
surprisingly a single penny has not been deposited in it so far.

Uzma thanked her lawyer Javez Akhtar for fighting her case free of
cost but on the basis of humanity and also appreciated the provincial
government for investigating the case and finding out the ground
truth.

She said that as a part of investigation she was asked by the medical
board to visit Peshawar for determination of her age but she couldn't
reach the place as in the letter from the medical board Deputy
Superintendent of Police Sajid Mohmand was requested to bring them
with full security but when they reached Peshawar he ordered the
guards to leave them half way.

Explaining the ordeal she mentioned that due to ignorance about the
city she along with her brother Alamzeb couldn't find the exact place
where they were supposed to go and that's why they missed appearing
before the medical board.

The determination of the rape victim is quite admirable. The relevant
authorities must respect her courage and bravery as it's really like a
slap on the face not only of the rapists but also those who have
provided them unlawful support. As it's a very bold step to reject
compensation in the form of a huge amount of money and keep on
fighting for justice. I think it's the suitable time for the
provincial government and the human rights as well as the judiciary to
uphold the principles of justice and dignity she is fighting for by
bringing the perpetrators to justice and taking all the measures to
eradicate the evil of violence against women from the society.

The arrest of the accused police officials and further investigation
in the case of the committee formed by the chief minister also speaks
volume of their serious interest in the issue.

By arresting the accused police officials the police department might
have a fear of the institution being stigmatized but this is the
negative side as if they think positively, the act could earn them a
good reputation and make the people regain their trust in the police
which almost all of the people have lost during the last few years.

I have also learnt that the NGOs have collected funds from different
sources including the Asian Human Right Commission (much enough
amount) through the Noor Education Trust to be deposited in Uzma's
account but according to Alamzeb, her elder brother, no money has been
deposited in her account while they are in dire need of money these
days.

The family owe Rs 70, 000 to the people from whom they had borrowed
the money while initiating the case and the party is demanding the
money as soon as possible while the aggrieved family is not in a
position of payment.

It is requested to the Noor Education Trust to provide the collected
money with a transparent list of the contributors to the distressed
family at its earliest to save them from further anguish.
Posted by: Vipul Koul
Edited by :Ashok koul