Ths practice is absolutely absurd. From what I gather from the article, I can literally walk down the street and blame anyone for being a Kar or Kari and make them pay big money for their release. Yet another practice that illustrates the dire straits that education is in, in Pakistan. Ignorance at its heighest level!
Any comments?!
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review5.htm
The economics of karo kari
By Manzoor Solangi
Karo kari is not only a heinous crime against women but it is also a business, writes Manzoor Solangi.
A recent field survey shows thatwhile the tradition of karo kari is deep-rooted in the tribal system, it has turned into a profitable business today. Karo kari (honour killing) is perhaps the only kind of crime which is exclusively dealt with, and decided by, jirgas, a tribal system of law. At best, it can be compared to a tribal tax (ghoonda tax) imposed by the powerful tribes on the weaker ones.
If a person is labelled a karo, he has to pay a fine irrespective of whether the charge levelled against him is true or not.The fine today stands at 120,000 rupees. Sunder Khan Sundurani, the chief sardarof Jacobabad in an interview admitted that most of the karo kari cases were false accusations but was unable to respond on how the menace could be controlled. “I know that more cases of karo kari are registered either to extort payment of the fine or to getrid of a loan. The tradition is also used to occupy one’s land or property,” said the Sardar.
One year ago, a retired major of the Pakistan army belonging to a powerful tribe of Bijaranis in Jacobabad was accused of being a karo by a farmer working at the major’s farm. According to the people of the area, the charge was baseless as the major had developed differences with the farmers on working conditions but, despite knowing this, the Sardar of the tribe ordered the major to pay a fine. “The major will have to pay the fine because the accusing party has earned notoriety,” the Sardar said. Though the major has not accepted the decision, locals say that, “the major will have to accept his decision if he wants to live in the area,” he said.
Though much has been written on karo kari, the intricacies of the system are still not fully understood. There are two types of karo kari caes: one is where the victims are killed on the spot while the other is where victims are made to pay a fine. The following is an example to illustrate how the latter case of karo kari works:
In most cases, a man will accuse a person of being a karo, i.e. developing extra-marital relations with any closely related woman of the accuser. The same person will also declare a woman whom he blames as a kari.
A man who is accused of being a karo is likely toescape and disappear once he is accused. Then the parents or other close relatives of the accused contact the Sardar and request him for khair, a local term used for peace. If the woman is accused of being a kari and somehow escapes an attack on her life she too is likely toescapeand seekrefuge at the kot of a Sardar. (Sometimes the womantakes refuge at the haveli of the Syeds of the area if the kot of the Sardar is too far.)
The date for “peace” is then set and both parties gather with some nobles of the area. A prerequisite of the peace meeting is an understanding that the accused karo will not participate and will instead be represented by his father, uncle, brother or any other noble or notable of the area. If the accusers are willing to accept a halaf (oath) from a member of the accused party, in which he says that the defendantis innocent in the crime he is charged with, the oath is administered. If however the accusers insist that the man charged with being a karo was indeed involved in the crime, the accused party is asked to pay the fine of 120,000 rupees.
The amount fixed as a down payment is made at the time of the decision and time is fixed for payment of the rest. If the accused is unable to pay the amount within the given period, the charge of being karo stands and another peace meeting is summoned, when a new fine will be announced.
Women, who had taken refuge at the homes of Syeds or Sardars after being accused as karis, are thenhanded over to the parents who usually sell them to members of an outside tribe. Tradition states that a woman who is labelled a kari cannot be married into her ancestral family because she has becomes a “polluted breed” and if she remains with the ancestral family, she will produce “bad breed”.
It is interesting to note that these women, when sold in the market, have more value. If an ordinary woman is sold for 100,00 rupees, the kari is sold for 150,000 rupees. Kanwal Sindhi, a journalist who has worked extensively on the karo kari issue, said that most of these women were bought by what can best be termed as"womanizers. They see these women as sexually active and more responsive which is why they prefer them," he said. “They are neither humane nor considerate to women; they do this for personal reasons.”
** If the parents of the accused kari women are poor, weak and less aware of the outer world, then their daughter is sold by the Sardar and the amount rests with him. In some cases a small amount is given to the parents. **
Once a woman is branded a kari and sold, she is never expected to see her relatives again. Nor do her relatives look for her. **Meanwhile, a man accused of being a karo will stay away from the accusers - relatives of the kari - until the time of peace or when a decision is made. If he should make contact with the accusing party, even if it is an accidental meeting, he has to pay a 5000 rupee fine. He must pay this amount every time the offence is committed until a decision is made.
There are at least five categories of the so-called offence of karo kari for which the accused has to pay. If the alleged karo marries a woman of his choice in the court of law and if she is marrying for the first time and is also his relative the man will ultimately end up in trouble. His decision to marry in court will be brought to the Sardar’s attention and he will have to pay four penalties: the first penalty for being karo, second for luring a girl, third for escaping (to court), and fourth for betraying the baradari (community). If his wife belongs to the Sardar’s village, he will also have to pay the fifth additional penalty. The penalty, or fine, is 120,000 rupees.**
Some of the accused karis, who can not be sold for various reasons or become fed up with their marriages, turn to the Sardars and ask them to let them live in their homes,where they pledge to serve their families for the rest of their lives. In such cases their requests are honoured. There are many reports that suggest that some karis, who took refuge in the Sardars’ kots, bore their children but because they were illegitimate they were denied any share in the Sardars’ property. I was unable to find a single case to substantiate this theory but many attest to it being true.
Ishaq Soomro, a journalist who has also worked extensively on the karo kariissue said that, “you will find many children whose mothers were branded kariand had sought refuge with the Sardars, but their fathers are not ready to own them. Everybody is ready to have sex with these women but no one is willing to marry them.”
The tradition has attained such alarming proportions that it has become a mockery of humanity and the law. In 1999, in the jurisdiction of Bakhshapur police station, an incident of karo kari was reported where a man accused another man (apparently his opponent) of committing karo kari with his donkey! The donkey was killed and the matter was put before the Sardar of Golo tribe, Mohammed Sallah Golo, who decided the matter and peace was achieved by fining the accused 50,000 rupees.