After learning about his sister Shabnam’s gruesome murder by her husband, her brother Noel and other members of Hodges family, are now worried about the safety of two of her daughters, who are still in Karachi.
Shirley Ann Hodges aka Shabnam (38), who belonged to a Christian family in Maninagar, was shot dead by her husband Mohammad Gul Khan on December 4 at his house in Murgi Khana in Karachi, Pakistan.
Though Karachi police claimed that Khan had been arrested and sent to jail, Noel, a resident of Hariom complex near Krishnabag in Maninagar, was clueless about the well-being of Shabnam’s two daughters, Chandani (13) and Sanjana (9).
“I don’t even know whether they are alive or not. Recently, I saw news on a Pakistani website, which claimed that one young girl named Chandani Khan has committed suicide in Karachi.
Since w e can’t talk to them directly, I can’t confirm whether she was my niece or someone else,” said Noel, who has requested Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to visit them in Karachi and take custody of both the girls if possible.
“If they can kill their mother, it’s easy to imagine what treatment they will give to these little girls. We can’t let them suffer and die in that hell. We want the authorities and HRCP to do something,” urged Noel, who is also planning to go to Pakistan with the help of Indian as well as Pakistani human rights activists such as Gagan Sethi and Asma Jahangir.
In 2005, Noel, along with his mother, had expressed his intention to go to Pakistan, but, he was denied a visa. “We wanted to meet Shabnam, because she was not treated well by her husband. We wanted to bring her back with us. But, the visa officer rejected our visa claiming that we can’t go unless we are invited by our relative in Pakistan,” explained Noel, adding, “As Shabnam was locked up inside a small room, how can she invite us or apply for any other help.”
Meanwhile, Gagan Sethi said that he was in touch with HRCP to bring Shabnam’s daughters back, but, it would be tough. “Since it’s not easy to go to Pakistan for us or Noel, I have asked HRCP members and other NGOs to do something and at least take custody of girls. However, everything depends on Pakistani government,” said Sethi. He also admitted that diplomatic efforts would not yield any concrete result after the brutal beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops in Kashmir recently.
“After such indiscretions, both the countries stop communication for a certain period. So, we are not banking much on a diplomatic solution. We have to take up the issue as human rights’ issue and do it through human rights commission and other NGOs in Pakistan,” said Sethi.
“If they can kill their mother, it’s easy to imagine what treatment they will give to these little girls. We can’t let them suffer and die in that hell. We want the authorities and HRCP to do something,” urged Noel, who is also planning to go to Pakistan with the help of Indian as well as Pakistani human rights activists such as Gagan Sethi and Asma Jahangir. In 2005, Noel, along with his mother, had expressed his intention to go to Pakistan, but, he was denied a visa. “We wanted to meet Shabnam, because she was not treated well by her husband. We wanted to bring her back with us. But, the visa officer rejected our visa claiming that we can’t go unless we are invited by our relative in Pakistan,” explained Noel, adding, “As Shabnam was locked up inside a small room, how can she invite us or apply for any other help.”
Meanwhile, Gagan Sethi said that he was in touch with HRCP to bring Shabnam’s daughters back, but, it would be tough. “Since it’s not easy to go to Pakistan for us or Noel, I have asked HRCP members and other NGOs to do something and at least take custody of girls. However, everything depends on Pakistani government,” said Sethi. He also admitted that diplomatic efforts would not yield any concrete result after the brutal beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops in Kashmir recently.
“After such indiscretions, both the countries stop communication for a certain period. So, we are not banking much on a diplomatic solution. We have to take up the issue as human rights’ issue and do it through human rights commission and other NGOs in Pakistan,” said Sethi.
