Two families booked over vani marriage | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Two families booked over vani marriage

MIANWALI, May 28: Chakrala police on Thursday booked two families over a vani marriage.

Saleem Iqbal of Chah Ogarwal in Chakrala police precincts had an affair with Ishrat of the same village. Ishrat eloped with Iqbal and they tied the knot in Lahore three months ago. Instead of reporting the matter to police, Ishrat’s parents preferred to settle the issue through so-called notables of the area, including Namal Union Council Nazim Malik Allah Yar and Pir Sultan Shah and Anwar Shah of Danda Shah Bilawal.

The ‘notables’ decided that Iqbal’s uncle Mehr Khan would give his daughter Asia (10) to Ishrat’s brother Muhammad Nasir (12) and 20 kanal farm land to Ishrat’s family. They also banned Iqbal’s entry into the village for five years. This decision was implemented the next day secretly, at least a month ago.

The issue came to the fore a couple of days ago when Ishrat’s family tried to take control of the land it got from Iqbal’s family and Iqbal’s father Ahmad Khan and uncle Mehr Khan refused to surrender their land. Both families resorted to heavy firing. The police, on the complaint of constable Muhammad Ashraf, registered a case against both families and arrested them.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/29/2009