12 January 2004	Monday	19 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 11: Shaista Almani - the girl who has gone through hell for marrying of her own free will, has been provided with shelter, security and two jobs by the Sindh government.

Sindh Population Planning Minister, Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, on Sunday evening handed over the keys of a Gulistan-i-Jauher apartment, along with some financial assistance, to Ms Almani and also offered her two jobs - one for her and one for her sister Parveen, as family welfare assistants (BPS 9).

The minister said the jobs and security were being given by the government, while the apartment and financial assistance were jointly arranged by Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Rahila Tiwana, some friends of his and himself.

Talking to Dawn at the Women's Police Station, Ms Almani said she had accepted the jobs, but had not yet made up her mind about the apartment as she had not expected that kind of help and it had come as a surprise.

She said she would discuss the matter with her family and then take a decision. Till that time, she said, she would stay at the police station.

"I have gone through a lot of stress in the past few weeks and am still not feeling totally relaxed and normal. I hope that now that the jobs have been offered, and once I get busy with the daily routine, I would fully recover," said Ms Almani.

A resident of Pano Aqil, Shaista Almani had married one Balakh Sher. The marriage was not liked by their tribes and they had to be on the run. They landed at Karachi where they were tracked down by their tribes in a Saddar apartment.

They were taken into custody by the Artillery Maidan police and produced in a court which allowed them to go wherever they wished. They were again tracked down and taken back to their villages where her husband divorced her and her life was under threat.

Some NGOs moved the SHC at Sukkur and the court sent Ms Almani for psychological treatment to Hilal-i-Ahmar Hospital in Karachi. Two days ago she, accompanied by some people, left the hospital and went to the South City Hospital owned by Sindh Women's Development Minister Dr Saeeda Malik. There she was declared medically fit and was asked to leave in the night. She was brought to the Women's Police Station yesterday.