KARACHI, Sept 21: The young couple — Shaista Almani and Qadir Bux Mahar— who have married after their own heart, but are running for their lives after being chased by their tribesmen, have urged the authorities to provide safety and security to them.

Shaista has demanded that her mother, father, three younger sisters and three brothers, who had been taken hostage to force her to return, be freed and safety be provided to them. She has also demanded the release and reinstatement of her husband’s brother, a police official (SHO) at Pano Aqil, and his uncle, Pano Aqil Taluka Nazim, both of whom had been put behind the bars.

The 22-year-old Shaista Almani, flanked by social workers Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife, Bilqees Edhi, narrating her ordeal said that she was an educated girl and was teaching at the Mehran College in Pano Aqil, Sukkur district, for the past three years.

She said that she met Qadir Bux Mahar, the Taluka chairman of the local Zakat Committee, some time back and they developed understanding and started liking each other. Qadir Bux’s parents sent the marriage proposal to her parents, to which the her mothers had no objection, however, initially her father had objected, but later, with family persuasion, he also gave in, she said.

She said that, her brother-in-law, Mohammad Afzal, who is also Sardar of Almani tribe, did not like the idea of her sister-in-law, or for that matter any girl of the clan, being married off outside the tribe. He threatened his in-laws of dire consequences if they allowed Shaista to marry Qadir Bux, and instead, he wanted to marry her off to one of his servants, belonging to the Almani tribe, she said.

She revealed that her elder sister, Mehnaz, had also married one Alam Jatoi, her college fellow, earlier this year. Afzal had also opposed that marriage and raised a hue and cry, but since the Jatois were a bigger and stronger tribe, he could not do anything, and Mehnaz and Alam got married and lived a normal life, Shaista said.

Shaista said that sensing threat, she informed Qadir Bux of the situation, and they, with his family members present, immediately got married, on June 1, 2003. To avoid pressure from Afzal, they left Pano Aqil and went to Islamabad, where she issued a statement through the newspapers that she had married on her own and that her parents and other relatives should not be harassed or harmed.

After staying in the federal capital for a few days, the couple came to Karachi. A few days later, her tribesmen traced the Islamabad guest house, where they had been residing, and then followed the couple to the city. She said that they had been staying with one of the friends of her husband, and one day some unknown people raided the house and took her and her husband with them to a Sadar apartment, where they (raiding people) were about to kill them (couple).

She said that “me and my husband raised a hue and cry, and listening to the noise the neighbours started to beat up the flat door, which had to be opened by the attackers. As the door was opened my husband rushed out downstairs and called the “Madadgar 15” police, which arrived immediately, she said.

“She said that police after carrying out inquiries from us and our attackers took us to police station and next morning we were produced in a court, where after our statement, we were once again married — this time the court marriage. And the court allowed us to go where ever we wanted to go.

“Outside the court we saw many tribesmen, so we requested the court for protection and I was handed over to the Edhis, where I am safe and being taken care of. But for how long? the government should do something to protect me and my husband. We have committed no crime, we both are adult, educated and have married. Religion and law does not stop us from marrying each other. Even our parents have no objection, who are others to take law in to their hands. Why are we being harassed.

“When law of the land does not think that we have committed any crime, then why the decisions taken by parallel legal bodies like jirgas, are being given so much weight and our lives are being threatened.

“My mother, father, three younger sisters, and three brothers have been taken hostage by Afzal (her brother-in-law). They be rescued and steps be taken to ensure that they were not harmed. Brother and an uncle of my husband, who have been taken in to custody, be released and left alone. Why are all these people being harassed,” she said.

Shaista said: “my father, Himat Ali, who works in the Irrigation Department, had also married my mother, Noor Jahan, against the wishes of his family in early 1970s, but there was never a threat. He just migrated from his goth and came to Pano Aqil.”

Abdul Sattar Edhi and Bilquis Edhi, who have provided shelter to her, said the people, after they enlightened and empowered their children through education, should not put barriers on them and they should be give the right to make one of the most important decisions of their lives — the choice of their life partners.

The Edhis said that the educated youths could take better and informed decisions and they should be given the right to choose, unhindered by elders.

They also urged the government to abolish the parallel judicial system of jirgas etc, that was playing havoc with the lives of innocent people, particularly in the rural areas.