Under threat: Runaway couple seeks protection

MANSEHRA: A woman has sought protection for herself and her husband after receiving death threats from her family. While talking to media persons on Friday, Erum Bibi* said that she got engaged to her cousin, Asher Khan*, with the consent of her family about a year back. However, she said her family tried to force her to break the engagement and accept the marriage proposal of Siddique, son of Omar Khan. She said when her family refused to comply with her wishes, she and Asher eloped and solemnised marriage in court. She claims her father, brothers and Siddique have threatened to kill her and Asher for violating the family’s ‘honour’.

*Names have been changed to protect identities

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2012.