A tale of two wives: Out with the old, in with the new
Akram shaved his wife’s head in front of a crowd of over 50 people for not ‘celebrating’ his second marriage.
MULTAN:
A man beat up his wife and shaved her head for not welcoming his second wife ‘properly’.
According to eyewitnesses in Mumtazabad, Muhammad Akram openly flogged his first wife Kalsoom in front of a crowd of over 50 people following his wedding to Masooma. “He was still dressed up and his new bride was standing behind him. told police officials.
“Everyone just stayed silent and looked on. Then he shaved her head and eyebrows and painted her face black.
He kicked her out of the house with her three children,” said a servant at the house Humayun Basit Khan.
According to Akram’s relatives and neighbours, he often beat his wife and the couple had quarrelled several times over his contracting a second marriage. “Kalsoom eventually caved in and gave her permission.
She even agreed to stay with him with his second wife but he wanted her to be happy about it. He humiliated her for not smiling and celebrating the union!” said Kalsoom’s younger brother Dawar Khan.
“My sister came to us begging for help. She had been publicly humiliated and he turned out his three children with her.
We have approached the police to register a case,” Khan said, adding “Everyone there just stood by and watched him hit her.”
Kalsoom said that she had eventually acceded to the union.
“I was scared that if I refused him permission he would kill me and my children. He had threatened to do so several times so I said I wouldn’t oppose the second marriage,” she told Mumtazabad Police.
“I was in my room with my children when he brought his new wife to the house and then he dragged me by my hair because he wanted me to stand and receive the couple with smiles and flowers,” she told police.
Mumtazabad Police Station House Officer (SHO) Kareemullah Bukhsh said that he had registered a case against the accused and his family on Kalsoom’s complaint.
“He has left his home with his new wife and we are searching for the couple. I have questioned several workers and servants in the area and they all confirm Kalsoom’s story,” he added.
Kalsoom said that she had initially approached a police chowki but the police officials had refused to register her case.
“They turned me out but when I threatened to approach the media with my story they said they would register the case and pursue it,” she said.
Kalsoom has appealed to the chief minister and Supreme Court chief justice for help.
“If these men are not punished I will set fire to myself and my children outside the Parliament House in Islamabad,” she said. “My husband cannot get away with this.
I was humiliated and beaten because I was not happy about his second marriage. How can someone expect me to celebrate such an occasion?” she said.
The name of the victim has been changed to protect her identity
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2011.
A man beat up his wife and shaved her head for not welcoming his second wife ‘properly’.
According to eyewitnesses in Mumtazabad, Muhammad Akram openly flogged his first wife Kalsoom in front of a crowd of over 50 people following his wedding to Masooma. “He was still dressed up and his new bride was standing behind him. told police officials.
“Everyone just stayed silent and looked on. Then he shaved her head and eyebrows and painted her face black.
He kicked her out of the house with her three children,” said a servant at the house Humayun Basit Khan.
According to Akram’s relatives and neighbours, he often beat his wife and the couple had quarrelled several times over his contracting a second marriage. “Kalsoom eventually caved in and gave her permission.
She even agreed to stay with him with his second wife but he wanted her to be happy about it. He humiliated her for not smiling and celebrating the union!” said Kalsoom’s younger brother Dawar Khan.
“My sister came to us begging for help. She had been publicly humiliated and he turned out his three children with her.
We have approached the police to register a case,” Khan said, adding “Everyone there just stood by and watched him hit her.”
Kalsoom said that she had eventually acceded to the union.
“I was scared that if I refused him permission he would kill me and my children. He had threatened to do so several times so I said I wouldn’t oppose the second marriage,” she told Mumtazabad Police.
“I was in my room with my children when he brought his new wife to the house and then he dragged me by my hair because he wanted me to stand and receive the couple with smiles and flowers,” she told police.
Mumtazabad Police Station House Officer (SHO) Kareemullah Bukhsh said that he had registered a case against the accused and his family on Kalsoom’s complaint.
“He has left his home with his new wife and we are searching for the couple. I have questioned several workers and servants in the area and they all confirm Kalsoom’s story,” he added.
Kalsoom said that she had initially approached a police chowki but the police officials had refused to register her case.
“They turned me out but when I threatened to approach the media with my story they said they would register the case and pursue it,” she said.
Kalsoom has appealed to the chief minister and Supreme Court chief justice for help.
“If these men are not punished I will set fire to myself and my children outside the Parliament House in Islamabad,” she said. “My husband cannot get away with this.
I was humiliated and beaten because I was not happy about his second marriage. How can someone expect me to celebrate such an occasion?” she said.
The name of the victim has been changed to protect her identity
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2011.