Pakistani couple beat tribal veto on wedding
April 01, 2004
From Zahid Hussain in Islamabad
THE ordeal of two young lovers who risked death for defying a strict tribal code of honour finally ended this week when they were reunited by a Pakistani court order that validated their marriage.
Shaista Almani, 23, a former schoolteacher, and Blakh Sher Mahar, her husband, are now living together in police quarters in Karachi.
The two, who belong to opposing tribes, were married in June last year, but were forced to flee their homes after tribal elders ruled that they should be killed for insulting their honour. The newlyweds were separated when armed tribesmen kidnapped Mr Mahar and Ms Almani fled for her life.
Scores of human rights activists and lawyers cheered the couple as they emerged from the courtroom on Tuesday, holding each other. “We are happy to be together again,” an ecstatic Ms Almani said.
Mr Mahar was presented to the court after police rescued him from a private tribal jail in his hometown of Pannu Aqil in the southern Sindh province, where he had been confined illegally for the past three months.
After recording their statements, the court ruled that the couple were free to live together. “They are free citizens and can decide for themselves,” the court ruled.
**Human rights organisations have described the ruling as a serious blow to the illegal parallel tribal judicial system. “The decision has strengthened the public confidence in the country’s judiciary,” Anis Haroon, a leader of Women Action Forum, said. “It has come as a serious blow to the inhuman and retrogressive tribal custom.” **
The couple were taken to their residence under heavy police protection because of a fear of attack by tribesmen. Mr Mahar said that they had no intention of leaving the country.
The two committed the “ultimate crime” under a hidebound tribal code when they fell in love and decided to marry. Tribal custom prohibits a woman from marrying a man of her choice and outside the tribe. The couple had their parents’ blessing to wed, but the tribal elders took offence.
Tension started to mount as Almani tribesmen threatened to attack the groom’s family, forcing them to flee town. They also took Shaista Almani’s parents and six of her siblings hostage and threatened to kill them if she did not break the marriage and return to the town.
In a tribal system deeply entrenched in many parts of Pakistan, disputes over marriage often trigger a blood feud between the tribes that continues for decades. Hundreds of people become victims of revenge each year as tribes fight for their “honour”.
The couple had moved secretly from place to place but were tracked down by tribesmen who raided their apartment in Karachi and kidnapped Mr Mahar. Under the threat of death, he divorced Ms Almani. He told the court that his action was under duress and did not have any legal validity.
President Musharraf intervened this year after a desperate appeal for help from Ms Almani, vowing to protect her and ordering the government of Sindh province to ensure her safety. Since then she has been living in police quarters in Karachi. The Government has also offered her a job with the police.
Crime against women is a big challenge for General Musharraf, who is trying to project Pakistan’s image as a modern Muslim state. More than 700 women died in the name of honour across Pakistan last year. Most of them were killed either by their family members or on the orders of the tribal council.
=============================================
The courts and police come in for plenty of criticism in Pakistan, so it’s only fair to give them some credit for a job well done. Another proud day for Pakistan :k:
sicilian style.
