HYDERABAD, March 18: A woman, who fears that she and her husband may be killed for marrying against the will of their parents, has accused police of defying court directives by continuing to harass them.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, Ghulam Fatima, resident of Haji Paliyo Khoso village, Hyderabad taluka, said she had married Fida Hussain Khoso on Feb 21 in a court. She added her family was against the marriage as it wanted to marry her to Ahmad Khoso after taking money from him.

She said a jirga held on Feb 21 by the elders of the village, Ali Nawaz Khoso and Taj Mohammad Chandio, declared her a Kari and her husband a Karo. She said they filed a petition in the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Feb 28, seeking protection, which served notices on the respondents.

She said the SHO of Husri appeared before the court on March 8 and stated police were not harassing her and her husband and gave a categorical assurance that the couple would not be harassed.

Ms Fatima alleged later it was decided at a meeting between a senior police officer of Hyderabad and heads of the jirga that she and her husband would be handed over to the village elders.

She feared she and her husband might be killed if they were handed over to the village elders who had declared them Karo-kari, and appealed to the authorities to save their lives.

She said despite the court directives not to harass them, the additional SHO of Husri had registered a case of kidnapping against her husband and his relatives on March 16.

She added her brother-in-law, Ghulam Haider, and his cousin, Zaman Hussain, were arrested and police were raiding different places to arrest other persons nominated in the FIR.