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Pakistani police have arrested 12 people for allegedly ordering a man to rape a girl in revenge for the rape of his sister.
A police officer in the eastern city of Pir Mahal, in Punjab Province, said the 12 people arrested included members of a village council, or jirga.
Rehmat Ali said that following the rape of a girl, the family of the alleged rapist, Wasim Saeed, sought pardon from the girl’s family.
He said both families agreed to settle their dispute with the so-called revenge rape of the suspected rapist’s sister.
The unlawful actions, called “wani” in Urdu, are still practiced in parts of rural Pakistan, where village councils often settle disputes.
Village councils have been condemned for a series of controversial rulings in the past, including ordering so-called “honor” killings.
Copyright (c) 2015. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.