Girl moves court against forced marriage

Layyah court orders police to provide girl with protection

LAYYAH:

The District and Sessions Judge of Layyah, Muhammad Ibrahim Asghar, disposed of a petition of a citizen of the city in which the petitioner had stated that his son-in-law and his brothers had been pressuring his (the petitioner’s) granddaughter into marrying against her will.

The judge, in his short order, directed the SHO of Layyah to provide protection to the girl.

Among other things, the order said, “The petitioner is directed to approach SHO PS City Layyah who shall ensure the protection of life and liberty of Samreen Bibi. From the contents of petition, no cognizable offence is made out. With this direction, the instant petition stands disposed of... .”

According to background of the matter, Ghulam Shabbir, maternal grandfather of Samreen, had filed a petition on September 1 on behalf of her granddaughter at the Court of the District and Sessions Judge of Layyah, stating that Abrar Hussain was his son-in-law, and his granddaughter Samreen was a PhD student. Samreen's father, uncles and a brother were forcing her to marry a cousin of hers against her will.

The petitioner said that Samreen could not stand the pressure and even tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, she survived because she was transferred to the district headquarters hospital in time.

The petitioner had made Samreen’s father Abrar Hussain, her brother and two of her uncles the respondents.

The petition had requested the court to take action against the respondents.

The court had summoned the respondents. Besides, the SHO of Layyah had also been summoned to the hearing along with his report.

Abrar Hussain, Samreen's two cousins, her mother and her six younger sisters appeared in the court in response to the court’s summons.

Samreen's parents told the court that it was their family custom to marry girls “in their own family” without seeking their opinions on the matter.

They told the court that they had fixed Samreen's marriage with a cousin of hers and wanted her to follow the family’s traditions.

Samreen's mother told the court that she had six more daughters, and all of them were younger to Samreen.

Samreen’s mother said that her father can arrange her and her sisters’ marriages according to his own wisdom, “and if we marry one daughter according to her wishes, then the way will open for others to follow suit”.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2022.