Free-will marriage: SC orders protection for man, his mother

Israr Ahmed and Fakharunnisa Narejo went missing after solemnizing freewill marriage against family's consent.

KARACHI:

The Supreme Court (SC) directed the provincial advocate general and police officials to ensure the safety of a man, who was allegedly kidnapped along with his wife by her family who were reportedly furious over their freewill marriage, and his mother.

Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who headed the three member bench, passed this direction at the SC’s Karachi registry.

Amir Zadi had gone to court seeking recovery of her son, Israr Ahmed, and daughter-in-law, Fakharunnisa Narejo, who went missing after solemnizing freewill marriage against the consent of her family.

She alleged that the relatives of her daughter-in-law, who had declared the couple as karo-kari (liable to be killed for honour), had kidnapped them from Masjid Babul Ilm in 2009. Since then their location was not known, she stated.

On April 27, 2012, a court convicted five accused Ali Akbar, Asghar Ali, Amir Ali, Rab Nawaz, Haq Nawaz and Abdul Latif Narejo to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs5,000 after finding them guilty of kidnapping the couple. The police, however, failed to arrest two absconding accused, the girl’s father, Ghulam Rasool Narejo and his accomplice Mukhar Ali Narejo.

On Saturday, the bench ordered the advocate general and relevant police officials to ensure the safety of the petitioner and her son. The bench also accepted the unconditional apology tendered by the vice-chancellor of the Sindh University, Dr Nazir Mughal. In his written apology, Mughal explained that he had transferred the university’s registrar, who was previously summoned by the court over his alleged patronage to the absconding accused, before the court’s order.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2013.