MUZAFFARGARH, April 19: Lives of at least three women have been put on stake following a girl refused watta satta (exchange) marriage and eloped with a man who was the husband of her deceased sister.

Sources privy to the affair told Dawn Sughra Mai, daughter of Mohammad Shafi of Basti Mochi wala, Mauza Bhakkar Noon, wanted to marry her former brother-in-law Mohammad Afzal, but her parents forcibly married her off to a cousin, Javed Hussain, on April 9. In return, Javed’s sister was to be married to Sughra’s brother Tanvir on April 13.

However, a day before the Tanvir’s marriage, Sughra eloped with Afzal who reportedly took her to Karachi.

This enraged Sughra’s family, who accusing Afzal of kidnapping her, abducted his sister and mother and linked their release to the return of Sughra.

The elders of the both families tried to involve some influential people of the area to resolve the issue through a panchayat, but nobody was ready to intervene for the fear of law.

The sources say that Afzal has been contacted by some of the elders and is willing to return Sughra if his mother and sister are not harmed.

Both the families have lodged kidnap complaints against each other with Mahmoodkot police.