Posted on 07/24/2002 7:40:11 PM PDT by Lessismore
MIANWALI, July 23: Four murder convicts managed to save themselves from the gallows after agreeing to pay Rs8 million and eight girls of their family as "compensation" to the aggrieved party.
The deal was struck at Abbakhel, 12 kilometres from here, on Tuesday in a mammoth gathering of religious scholars, notables of the district, politicians, and the public.
Sardar Khan, Muhammad Akram Khan, Muhammad Ashraf Khan and Asmatullah Khan were awarded death sentence in a double-murder by the district and sessions judge, Mianwali, in 1988.
After the rejection of their appeals by the superior courts and the president, the convicts and their relatives sought the help of influential people. They approached the Nawab of Kalabagh who yielded considerable influence on the aggrieved camp. The latter demanded Rs12 million in compensation and 20 young girls as per the local tradition called Vani.
But, with the efforts of Malik Asad Khan of Kalabagh, Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel, former MNA, Malik Taj Muhammad Kund, former MPA, Amirabdullah Khan Punnkhel, Mazhar Qayyum of Piplan, Qazi Zafar Hussain, and Sajada Nasheen of Chakrala, the aggrieved party brought down its demand to Rs8 million and eight unmarried young girls. One of the girls, who is 18, will be married to an 80-year- old man.
Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
I think I see my friends coming,
Ridin' many mile.
Friends, did you get some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my dear friends,
To keep me from the Gallows Pole?
What did you bring me to keep me from the Gallows Pole?
I couldn't get no silver, I couldn't get no gold,
You know that we're too damn poor
To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
I think I see my brother coming,
Ridin' many mile.
Brother, did you get me some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my brother,
To keep me from the Gallows Pole?
Brother, I brought you some silver,
I brought a little gold,
I brought a little of ev'ry thing
To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Yes, I brought you to keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Hangman, hangman, turn your head awhile,
I think I see my sister coming,
Riding' many mile, mile, mile.
Sister, I implore you, take him by the hand,
Take him to some shady bower,
Save me from the wrath of this man,
Please take him,
Save me from the wrath of this man, man.
Hangman, hangman, upon your face a smile,
Pray tell me that I'm free to ride,
Ride for many mile, mile, mile.
Oh, yes, you got a fine sister,
She warmed my blood from cold,
We warmed my blood to boiling hot
To keep you from the Gallows Pole,
Your brother brought me silver,
Your sister warmed my soul,
But now I laugh and pull so hard
And see you swinging on the Gallows Pole...
Keep-a-swingin'!
Swingin' on the gallows pole!
See-saw, Marjorie daw
See-saw knock on my door
It seemed appropriate....
Of course, this was after they had already approached and had been turned down by the Mugwah of Pfumph, the Phoonman of Kaleidsdale, and the Smurfem of Kxrtxpheeagashit.
Life is complicated in Pakistan.
Strange, very strange.
Updated round-the-clock, with a major update before 10:00 PDT (04:00 GMT).
I wish it were Onion.
I find it revolting that it still exists and that an 80 year old man will be serviced by a teenager so that her relatives can escape death. Maybe the world is not as modern as it claims.
LZ performed it well, but it's an old ballad.
Girls and gold, two of the six things that motivate people to kill. The other four are land, religion, race, and stupidity. A good thing for the defendents that they had plenty of the first two, because they are the same as the prosecution when it comes to the other four.
Justice you say? Gimme a break, you know dang well you already said "Pakistan".
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