Perilous love: Threatened for eloping, couple seeks PHC’s protection

Village jirga condemns court marriage by couple as family files complaint against husband

MANSEHRA: A couple, who married in court without consent of the girl’s family, accused her family of threatening them and asked the authorities to protect them.

While claiming that a jirga in their native village had decided to ‘punish’ the couple, police say the girl’s father had filed a case for kidnapping against the husband.

Speaking to the media at a news conference in Mansehra on Monday, Shabina Bibi said she was in love with Muhammad Shafique from Jabbar village for a few years and that Shafique reciprocated her feelings. However, repeated attempts by Shafique to convince Shabina’s parents to allow the two to marry failed.

“Left with no other option, we decided to leave the village and get married in court,” Shabina said while flanked by her husband.

The couple said they eloped and contracted marriage in a Mansehra court. Shabina, daughter of Muhammad Miskeen, said that their marriage was finally registered on November 17 and it was followed by her statement before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of the CrPc wherein she stated that she had eloped with Shaifque of her own free will and had married each other without any pressure, coercion or enticement.

“When I have fulfilled all legal requirements and accepted Shafique as my husband in a court of law and under provisions of Sharia, no one has the right to oppose my decision,” asserted the young woman.

She claimed that her family were threatening the couple and have even presented police with a fake marriage certificate (Nikahnama) in which she is said to have already been married to Muhammad Ishfaq, son of Ghulam Hasan, from Jabbar village.

Shabina categorically denied having married anyone apart from Shafique and termed the document a ploy by her family to coerce the police into forcing her back home. She expressed the fear that if she goes back, she could be killed for ‘honour’ as per local tradition.

The young woman further accused her family members and notables of the area for organising a Jirga. The Jirga, she claimed, decided to punish the couple for marrying without due consent of the two families.

She demanded the chief justice of Peshawar High Court to provider her, and her husband with protection.

Meanwhile, Shinkiari police said that Shabina’s father had lodged a complaint against Shafique for allegedly kidnapping his daughter who was already married to another man.

Officials, however, added that they were still investigating who was at fault.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2016.