Of caste and creed: Husband wants case against in-laws over forced abortion

Says his wife’s relatives forced her to abort the child due to its caste

LAHORE: A policeman moved a court on Tuesday, seeking a case against his in-laws for forcing his wife to abort a baby as it was not from their “caste”.

The cop said that he married out of love and without the consent of the girl’s parents. He added that the girl’s family launched a character assassination campaign against him from the onset of the marriage.

He claimed on February 2, 2016, he found out that the wife was pregnant after a medical test. After a few months, she went to her parents’ home where the family strongly objected to the pregnancy.

He claimed the relatives started pressurising her to abort the child and threatened to disown the girl if she did not listen.

He added the whole family — parents, brothers, sisters and others — finally persuaded his wife to abort the baby as it did not belong to their caste; Biradri.

When the husband asked his wife about the abortion, she said that the family persuaded her. He also asked if she was ready to take such a step to which she replied in the affirmative. The girl said she was following her family’s instruction.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2017.