Public humiliation on panchayat’s order

LAHORE: A couple was publicly humiliated and beaten up in Gujranwala on Saturday for living together under an ‘invalid nikahnama’.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Sobia*, the man’s first wife, said that she had married Asif* a couple of years ago.

“My younger sister, Sidra*, disappeared two years ago. We thought she had eloped with some stranger. We looked for her, but did not find her. Last year, Asif told us that he and Sidra were married and living together. He told us that Sidra had recently borne him a child. We were furious with Asif over this,” she said.

She said that she used to have frequent quarrels with Asif over the issue. “On Saturday, I once again exchanged harsh words with Asif. His parents, too, scolded him. Our neighbours heard the commotion and came over. When they learnt what had happened, they called a panchayat. It decided to teach Asif and Sidra a lesson for contracting an invalid nikah,” she said. The faces of the couple were blackened and they were paraded in the streets.

A Sabzi Mandi police team interviewed and recorded the statements of eye-witnesses. They have registered a case against members of panchayat under Sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Police have taken eight members of panchayat into custody. They have also taken Asif and Sidra into custody for interrogation. Khiali Circle DSP Ahmad Nawaz Ghumman said that they had taken the couple into custody to verify their nikahnama.

*Names have been changed to protect identity



Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2016.