Freewill marriage issue: Threatened couple seeks protection | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Freewill marriage issue: Threatened couple seeks protection

KARACHI: A freewill couple on Tuesday approached Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking protection and action against tribal influential people and criminals who have planned to kill them in the pretext of honour killings.

Imam Ali Chang and his wife Afshan Gul Chang stated this while talking to journalists at the SHC after submitting a petition. Imam said that he married Afshan on July 27 in City Courts, Karachi, which was a freewill marriage with the consent of his wife’s uncles, including Ameer Hussain, Niaz Hussain, Khadim Husain Mohbat and others.

“Some irrelevant tribal influential people, including Oshaque Noor-ul-Islam, Zafar, Abdul Latif, Imtiaz Ali, Abdul Jabbar and others had called a Jirga and declared me and my wife as ‘Karo-Kari’ and also announced to kill them,” Imam said. He said that those persons had hired some professional killers who were roaming in Karachi, putting their lives at stake.

Afshan said: “My mother and uncles arranged her marriage with Imam in early July but some influential people and criminals of our tribe had tried to split our relationship, as they had also created hurdles ahead their marriage.” She said that we had made freewill marriage with the consent of our family members.

Replying to a query, Imam said: “Those tribal influential persons are harassing my family members and well-wishers, besides registering fake and baseless criminal cases.” He said that they were also carrying out immoral propaganda against him and her wife through cell phone messages. “They have hired some professional criminals for killing me and my wife. They are also trying to trigger a tribal clash in a peaceful locality Faizganj in Khairpur district”, Imam claimed. staff report


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