Good riddance: Girl’s ‘barter’ marriage ends with khullah

KARACHI:

A fed-up Erum Shahzadi is finally a free woman after a court dissolved her marriage with her cruel husband on Wednesday, though she will have to bear the responsibility of their child in this early age.

The 19-year-old girl had been bartered in marriage by her parents in the tradition of “watta-satta”. She was married to Shahzada Adil Ansari in 2011 while her brother married Ansari’s sister. But her in-laws made her life a living hell. Shahzadi’s brother has already divorced his wife.

A district and sessions court ended her misery, as family judge, Abdul Qayyum Syed, granted her divorce application.

In the lawsuit, she had stated that her husband was an ill-tempered man and regularly misbehaved, insulted and assaulted her.

She alleged that when she had gone to her parents’ home four months ago, her husband threatened her of cutting her nose and kidnapping their son. “I hate him and can’t live with him at any cost,” stated Shahzadi. She has even forfeited her dowry in lieu of khullah.

In response to the allegations levelled against him, Ansari filed a written statement denying all the accusations. Earlier, the court had tried to persuade the couple to compromise in a pre-trial session held last month, but it ended in failure.

While granting the decree in Shahzadi’s favour, the judge stated: “The facts show that the parties cannot live in union particularly when the plaintiff has categorically stated that she had developed hatred against her husband.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2012.