May 11, 2007	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1428

NOWSHERA, May 10: A couple who got married of their own free will have pleaded to the government to provide them security as they and their families are facing threats from elders of their village.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, one Abdul Hamid, son of Mohammad Nazir, resident of the Pir Gharbi village, Abbottabad, informed that he had married Iram Naeem in a local court of Charsadda district on April 22.

Mr Hamid said that their court marriage had been disowned by some of their relatives, leaving them with no other option but to leave their hometown.

Ms Iram said that some of their relatives, including Irfan, Abdul Aziz, Mohammad Imtiaz, Mohammad Pervez, Mohammad Ishaq and Ishtiaq, had beaten them also.

She said the elders of their village had expelled their parents and have threatened to kill 10 people from her husband’s family.

Similarly, Tariq and Banaris, relatives of her husband, have been taken hostage by their opponents.

The couple lamented that they had tried to register an FIR against their opponents, but instead of taking action against the culprits, the police had registered a case against them.