KARACHI: A district and sessions court has directed police to provide ‘legal protection’ to a newly-wed couple who was facing threats from their close relatives.

After hearing arguments from the applicant’s counsel and examining a police report, Additional District and Sessions Judge Intisar Ali Tunio directed the SHO of the Clifton police station to provide legal protection to applicant Rehmat Bibi, 26, who recently contracted marriage with Qabool in Karachi.

However, the court dismissed the applicant’s plea to lodge a complaint against their close relatives.

The applicant had filed an application in court through her counsel, Advocate Ali Zain, under Sections 22-A and B of the Criminal Procedure Code, seeking protection and direction to lodge a complaint against her close relatives.

In the application, the applicant, who originally belongs to district Umerkot, submitted that she had tied the knot with Qabool of her own free will.

She mentioned that their parents had accepted their marriage. However, her close relatives, including her parental uncle, cousin, and brother-in-law, were not happy with their marriage, and they had threatened to kill them.

A week later of their marriage, her close relatives came to their house and beat her and her husband. However, they fled away as neighbours gathered there to help them when she shouted for help. During the assault, the couple sustained injuries.

The woman informed the court that she had approached the police station concerned to file a complaint against the alleged attackers (close relatives), but she met with disappointment.

In its order, the court noted: “The incident dated 03.04.2024 reveals that she was beaten by them [close relatives] at their house. Neither the said incident was reported at PS nor did she get a police letter for medical examination, hence her allegations do not warrant the commission of cognizable offence. However, the alleged incident suggests an act of provocative harassment on the part of the proposed accused.”

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2024