SWAT: A woman belonging to an artist family has demanded of the authorities to provide protection to her from her former husband as he wants to kill her.

Addressing a news conference along with her elderly parents and brothers at Swat Press Club on Monday, Yasmeen Akhtar alleged that her former husband and his family wanted to kill her.

She threatened to commit self-immolation if her demand was met.

She said that she was taken to Saudi Arabia by her husband after two months of her marriage. “In Saudi Arabia, my husband used to invite different men to our house. His behaviour turned harsh and he started inflicting violence on me when I asked him not to bring strangers,” she alleged.

Ms Akhtar alleged that her husband had taken Rs700,000 from her parents for arranging a work visa for her brother and taking him to Saudi Arabia.

“He took the money from my parents but did not arrange visa for my brother,” she added.

She said that her husband in front of some men divorced her but kept her illegally with him. For the evidence of her divorce, she played a video recording in her smart phone showing her husband loudly announcing the divorce statement three times.

She said that she talked to her parents in Pakistan when his behaviour got worse with her. “My parents sent me an air ticket and I came back home but my husband started threatening me and my parents,” she added.

Ms Akhtar said that her former husband returned from Saudi Arabia last Friday and came to her parents’ house last night.

“He came with his brother and other armed men and started beating us. After sometime, they opened firing on us leaving one of my brothers injured. One of our neighbours was also shot at and injured in the firing,” she said.

She said that her former husband beat her other brother in the hospital in presence of police. She appealed to the district police officer, DIG and chief minister to provide her justice and protect her from her former husband and his brothers.

“We are poor and if we are not given protection and justice, I will commit self-immolation at Mingora Bazaar,” she threatened.

Local police, when contacted, said that three men were arrested after the incident and FIR was registered against them.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2020