Young Pakistani activist in Swat uses education, awareness campaigns to fight child marriages

Pakistani activist Hadiqa Bashir is seen talking to women at her office in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley on July 9, 2024. (AN photo)
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Updated 01 August 2024
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Young Pakistani activist in Swat uses education, awareness campaigns to fight child marriages

  • Hadiqa Bashir’s ‘Girls United for Human Rights’ has reached 90,000 girls in Swat to prevent early marriages
  • There are 19 million girls in Pakistan who are married before they turn the age of 18, UNICEF official says 

MINGORA, Pakistan: Eleven-year-old schoolgirl Hadiqa Bashir’s life changed a decade ago when her parents, influenced by relatives, told her she was to be married off to an elderly taxi driver. 

Though child marriages are a norm in Bashir’s conservative Pashtun family in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley, she sought the help of an uncle to defy her parent’s plans and even threatened her family that she would go to the police against them. 

Now 22, Bashir has dedicated her life to fighting child marriages in a country where there are 19 million girls who are married off before they turn 18, the sixth highest number in the world, according to UNICEF.

“When you experience something yourself, then you understand it, you know the pain,” Bashir told Arab News at her office in Swat District’s Mingora city. “An incident happened in my life as well due to which I started a campaign against child marriages in Swat.”




The picture taken on July 9, 2024, shows an aerial view of Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley. (AN photo)

The legal age of marriage for females in Pakistan is 16, except for Sindh province where the minimum age is 18.

Many poor families are pushed by financial strains to marry their daughters young in order to reduce costs at home, or see marriage as the best option for girls who have limited options to study in remote regions. A largely patriarchal society, conservative social norms and pervasive gender inequality also push trends like child marriage. 

Experts say the practice impedes the rights of girls to access education and health services, specifically in rural areas. It also affects their physical health, emotional well-being, education, and future prospects, exposing them to risks such as early pregnancy, domestic violence, and limited opportunities for personal and economic development and stripping away the right of decision-making, exacerbating power imbalances and restricting their autonomy in shaping their lives.

“The situation is very grave ... and you can see that child marriage often leads to early pregnancy before girls’ bodies are fully ready,” Susan Andrew, a child protection specialist at UNICEF Pakistan, told Arab News. “We are witnessing very high rates of infant and maternal mortality as well.”

Andrew added:

“The target should ultimately be that no girl is married before eighteen in Pakistan.”

And that is Bashir’s mission, which is why she set up the non-governmental organization, Girls United for Human Rights, in 2021 to campaign against child marriages. Bashir says she has since reached 90,000 of 1.4 million women and girls in Swat Valley to create awareness against the pervasive practice. 




The picture taken on July 9, 2024, shows a woman holding a booklet on women's right in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley. (AN photo)

“I WAS LUCKY”

With a population of 2.6 million, Bashir’s NGO estimates there are currently around 20,000 adolescent girls who could become victims of forced marriages in Swat, known around the world as the hometown of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for demanding education for girls and went on to become the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. 

“In my own family, my aunt was married at 11-12 years of age, and my grandmother was insisting that we should marry me at 11 and get me out of the school and teach me how to do household chores,” Bashir recalled.

“I was lucky that my uncle told me about human rights, about the Child Marriages Restraint Act, and then bravely I stood up to my grandmother, the first girl in my family to do so, and told her that I don’t want to marry, I want to continue my studies.”




Pakistani activist Hadiqa Bashir speaks to Arab News Pakistan in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley on July 9, 2024. (AN photo)

Bashir is aided in her campaign against early and forces marriages by international bodies like UNICEF and community leaders and religious clerics.

“[We] are getting very positive results [through awareness campaigns] with whoever we inform and educate about medical side effects [of child marriages],” Dr. Saeed Akbar, a community elder engaged with Bashir in Swat, told Arab News.

Akbar said he showed families photos of young brides who had died during pregnancy or childbirth. 

“We show them the available records and photo that ‘See, this is the issue, if you keep marrying your daughters at younger age, you may face these problems’,” he said. 

“Now some 70 percent people understand this while 20-30 percent don’t want to understand or need more time to understand but our efforts are ongoing and this segment will also be covered soon.”

Fazal Rabbi, a prayer leader in Swat, said there was “no place for child marriages in Islam,” which he also propagated in his sermons. 

“If a child is given better education and training, and married after reaching the legal age, this will be beneficial for them,” Rabbi told Arab News. “She will be able to take care of her children’s education and training better as well as of her home.”


Pakistan, US agree to schedule key talks on trade and investment ‘soon’

Updated 19 September 2024
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Pakistan, US agree to schedule key talks on trade and investment ‘soon’

  • Trade and Investment Framework Agreement serves as platform for both countries to resolve issues related to bilateral trade
  • Commerce minister says US remains Pakistan’s” top” trading destination, calls for strengthening bilateral trade relations 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal and US Trade Representative Katherine Tae on Thursday held talks focused on enhancing bilateral trade relations between the once close allies, with both sides agreeing to schedule the key Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks “soon.”

TIFA serves as a platform for Pakistan and the US to improve market access, promote bilateral trade and investment, resolve disputes, and work on trade-related issues between the two countries. 

Pakistan and the US took part in high-level trade talks in Feb. 2023 when both countries participated in the 9th Pakistan-United States Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting. That meeting took place after seven years. 

Khan held a virtual meeting with Tai during which he said America remains Pakistan’s “top trading destination, expressing his country’s desire to further expand this partnership. 

“During the meeting, it was confirmed that the next Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) meeting would be scheduled soon, along with discussions on agriculture, textiles, women’s empowerment, IT and E-commerce,” the commerce ministry said in a statement. 

Khan highlighted Pakistan’s “strong performance” in the agriculture sector, particularly in mangoes and dates, the ministry said, adding that he also spoke about the potential for growth in value-added agro-services.

Tai acknowledged Pakistan’s contributions, particularly its agricultural exports, and praised the quality of Pakistani mangoes, the statement said. 

“Minister Jam Kamal invited Tai to attend Pakistan’s TEXPO in October,” the commerce ministry said. It said Tai was grateful for the invitation and expressed interest in attending the event. 

In return, Tai invited Kamal to visit Washington to further explore trade opportunities between the two countries.


Pakistan PM says Islamabad keen to expand trade, security cooperation with Russia

Updated 19 September 2024
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Pakistan PM says Islamabad keen to expand trade, security cooperation with Russia

  • Visiting Russian deputy PM calls on Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad to discuss bilateral relations 
  • Islamabad has recently sought to strengthen ties with Moscow to address its economic woes

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Islamabad was keen to expand its trade, energy, connectivity and security cooperation with Moscow during his meeting with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk. 

Overchuk arrived in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Wednesday on a two-day official visit with a high-level delegation. He has held talks with Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s army chief and leading officials in Islamabad to bolster trade, investment, security and energy cooperation with Pakistan. 

Islamabad has recently sought to strengthen ties with Moscow, including requests for discounted crude oil to address its balance of payments crisis and high energy import bill, as part of a broader strategy to diversify its international partnerships and economic dependencies.

“The Prime Minister stated that Pakistan is keen to expand trade, economic, energy, connectivity and security cooperation with Russia,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

Sharif told Overchuk that Pakistan considers strengthening relations with Russia as an important priority of Pakistan’s foreign policy, the PMO said. 

Overchuk thanked the Pakistani premier for giving him a warm welcome and reiterated Moscow’s resolve to deepen relations with Islamabad, the PMO said. 

“He characterized Pakistan-Russia relations as constructive and mutually beneficial,” it added. 

Sharif also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries to further strengthen mutually advantageous cooperation in all areas of shared interest, especially trade, investment, energy, IT, agriculture, science & technology and education.


Pakistani blockbuster ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ to release in India on Oct 2

Updated 19 September 2024
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Pakistani blockbuster ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ to release in India on Oct 2

  • Film is a reboot of a hyper-masculine Punjabi film from four decades ago
  • Political tensions between India and Pakistan result in minimum cultural exchanges

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani blockbuster movie “The Legend of Maula Jatt” starring superstars Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi is set to be released in Indian theaters on Oct 2, the film’s director Bilal Lashari confirmed on Wednesday. 

Released in October 2022, the movie is a reboot of a hyper-masculine Punjabi film that enchanted viewers four decades ago. It has not only won critical acclaim but also done incredibly well in domestic and international markets. 

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since gaining independence in 1947, two of them over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Political tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors still dominate their relations, resulting in minimum cultural exchanges. 

“Releasing in India, Punjab on Wednesday 2nd Oct! Two years in, and still house full on weekends in Pakistan!” Lashari said in a social media post on Instagram. 

“Now, I can’t wait for our Punjabi audience in India to experience the magic of this labor of love!”

The film’s official Instagram page wrote that the official list of cinemas that would screen the movie would be revealed soon. 

Upon its release in October 2022, the film broke all previous local cinema records by grossing an impressive Rs1.5 billion – or over $6.78 million at the time – since its release in Pakistan and the rest of the world.


Speaker tells Pakistan election body to ‘honor’ parliament’s laws amid tensions with judiciary

Updated 19 September 2024
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Speaker tells Pakistan election body to ‘honor’ parliament’s laws amid tensions with judiciary

  • Pakistan’s top court in July ruled that ex-PM Khan’s party is entitled to reserved seats in parliament for women and minorities
  • Sharif’s government last month amended country’s election law that restricts allottment of reserved seats to ex-PM Khan’s party 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday told the country’s electoral body that amendments made to Pakistan’s election laws last month would supersede a prior ruling of the top court related to reserved seats in parliament, raising fears of a standoff with the Supreme Court. 

Sadiq’s letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) came after the Supreme Court censured the election regulatory authority last week for what it said were “dilatory tactics” to avoid implementing a judgment on reserved seats for women and minorities in the national and provincial legislatures that favored the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. 

In a verdict on July 12, a 13-member bench of the court declared the PTI of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan eligible for reserved seats after the ECP forced the party’s candidates to contest the February 8 polls as independents. After the election, the PTI-backed candidates were forced to join Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) party to claim a share of the reserved seats as independents are not eligible for the extra seats.

The Supreme Court overturned the ECP’s decision, saying it had misconstrued an earlier verdict related to the party’s election symbol by depriving the PTI of the reserved seats. The verdict was a blow to the ruling coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz, which could lose its two-thirds majority if the verdict is implemented. 

In August, Pakistan’s parliament passed the Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024, which restricted granting the reserved seats in parliament to the PTI. The bill says that if a candidate does not submit a declaration of his affiliation with a political party to the returning officer before seeking the allotment of an election symbol, he or she shall be “deemed to be considered as an independent candidate and not a candidate of any political party.” 

“As the judgment of the SC was rendered based on the law prior to the enactment of the amendment, the said judgment is now incapable of implementation,” Sadiq wrote in a letter to the ECP. 

“Instead, it is the Amended Election Act that shall prevail and supersede the prior ruling.”

He pointed out that the consistent jurisprudence of the Supreme Court also held the view that the parliamentary law was superior to the court’s order. 

“It is also brought to your kind notice that the Amended Election Act is in the field, therefore, it is the statutory obligation of the ECP to honor the laws made by Parliament and uphold the principles of democracy and parliamentary supremacy,” the letter said. 

He warned that actions perceived to be undermining parliament’s sovereignty can “erode public trust and confidence in our institutions.”

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

The development takes place at a time when Sharif’s coalition government is planning to get a constitutional amendment passed from parliament to allegedly give an extended term to the country’s top judge. 

The amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, though the coalition can lose a portion of its existing number of seats after the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling on reserved seats gets implemented. 

The package of reforms, widely believed to include as many as 22 amendments to the constitution, is expected to increase the retirement age of superior judges by three years and change the process by which the Supreme Court chief justice is appointed.

The amendments have raised widespread concerns among opposition parties and legal experts who say the moves are aimed at increasing the government’s power in making key judicial appointments and dealing with the defection of lawmakers during house votes. 
 


Pakistani blasphemy suspect’s family forgives police officer accused of killing him

Updated 19 September 2024
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Pakistani blasphemy suspect’s family forgives police officer accused of killing him

  • Abdul Ali, 52, was shot dead last week in a heavily fortified police station in Quetta
  • Killer was a police office who had accessed facility by pretending to be Ali's relative

QUETTA: The family of a blasphemy suspect killed in custody in southwestern Pakistan has forgiven the police officer accused of killing him, saying they would not press charges “in the name of God.”

Abdul Ali, 52, also known as Sakhi Lala, was shot dead last week in a heavily fortified police station in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, by police officer Saayd Mohammad Sarhadi, who had accessed the facility by pretending to be Ali’s relative, police said.

“We will not fight the case,” Ali’s son Muhammad Usman told a press conference late on Wednesday, sitting with another brother and some elders from his tribal clan. “We have forgiven the police officer in the name of God.”

One of the elders, Faizullah Noorzai, said the tribe would disown Ali. “We and our families are the kind of people who would sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad and his respect.”

Blasphemy is punishable by death in predominantly Muslim Pakistan. No one has been executed by the state for the crime, but dozens of those accused have been lynched by mobs before trial.

Such killings are often glorified. The father of Ali’s alleged killer, Hajji Daad Muhammad, has been receiving visitors paying their respects at his house since last week’s killing.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom says the South Asian country is one of the world’s strictest and most frequent enforcers of blasphemy laws.

Blasphemy accusations fueled mobs that attacked Christian neighborhoods in the eastern province of Punjab, burning several churches and displacing hundreds of people last year.

A court will consider the plea by Ali’s family for a pardon and decide whether to proceed with charging the officer, said a senior police officer who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Ali’s alleged blasphemy centered on an argument he had had about politics and the Prophet Muhammad, according to a police investigator. He had been moved to the more secure police station after hundreds gathered outside the facility where he was initially detained, chanting that they wanted to kill him publicly.