03 November 2004	Wednesday	19 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Forced mismatched marriages between UK educated boys and girls and not so oriented Pakistani boys and girls result in tragic ends for hundreds of families on both sides.

This was stated by second secretary press and public affairs, British High Commission, Simon Smart at a media consultation on "Forced marriages in Pakistan" on Tuesday.

"This year alone, the British High Commission has seen 300 cases of forced marriages. The incidence is on the rise, but there is more awareness among the young Pakistani-British nationals about where to seek help when held in Pakistan for forced marriages."

The event was organized by Sach in collaboration with the British High Commission.

He said the most sinister angle of forced marriages was the ulterior motives that were visa related through which people brought other families to the UK, creating immigration problems. Retaining family wealth and strength are also the main reasons," he added.

Head of counselling section Helen Feather said the largest incidence of forced marriages was in Asian countries and Pakistan was on top of the list in the context of UK. There are over 800,000 Pakistanis living in the UK alone, she added.

Elaborating on this form of human rights violation, Ms Helen said, "Individuals mostly forced into marriages are as young as 14 years old, who said they loved their parents and were devoted to their families and so could not dishonour them by going against their will. This is when the young realise that they do not have a voice in choosing their life partners."

Young Pakistani-British nationals brought up and educated in the UK are very much free. They could do what they liked in the areas of entertainment and education, etc., but this did not tally with cultural traditions in Pakistan leading to unpleasant situations when forced into marriages with less-oriented Pakistani youth, she said.

The right to marry including the requirement of free and full consent by each of the intending spouses was clearly established under the international human rights law and protected by national laws in many jurisdictions, she said.

"Unfortunately, customary and traditional practices, exacerbated by ineffective enforcement of the law and inappropriate policies and procedures constrain the practical realisation of this right.

A forced marriage is a practice that continues to affect women, men and children across diverse countries, cultures and communities."

Recognising the impact of the problem and effects on the lives of young people both in Britain and Pakistan, Ms Feather also highlighted the various projects in this regard.