MANSEHRA, June 16: The fact-finding commission formed on the orders of the Supreme Court on Saturday recorded statements of four of the five women, who were allegedly killed on a jirga decree in Pales area of Kohistan last month.

The fifth woman in question couldn`t appear before the commission headed by Judge Munira Abbasi for being heavily pregnant, said provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who accompanied the commission members during the visit to Kohistan.

Mr Hussain told reporters that the commission recorded statements of four women, their families, local elders and jirga members about the alleged killings, gathered evidence and photographed them besides capturing their close-up shots on camera.

He said the commission also took thumb impressions of the four women to ascertain their identity and that all the record would be produced before the Supreme Court on the next hearing slated to be held on June 20.

The minister said he was thankful to Pales elders and the relevant families for producing the said women before the commission despite tradi-tional restrictions. He said the commission won`t the women and their families in future.

Headed by Judge Munira Abbasi, the commission consisted of MNA Bushra Gohar, human rights activist Farzana Bari, Hazara commissioner Khalid Khan Umarzai, DIG Dr Mohammad Suleman, Kohistan district coordination officer Aqal Badshah and DPO Abdul Majid Afridi.

It first reached Puttan area and then went to Beach Bella village, where the said women live, by helicopter.

Judge Abbasi refused to respond to the media queries and said: `Sorry, I have no mandate to speak to the media or reveal our findings, which along with the record will be produced in the Supreme Court only.

Ms Farzana, however, told reporters that she could confirm the identity of two women whom she had already met during earlier visit but couldn`t say if two other, who appeared before the commission in the day, were the same shown in the video.`I will reveal what I observed here in the court,` she said.

The human rights activist also confirmed she photographed the said women and captured their close-up shots on camera for verification.