Rawalpindi – woman who contracted marriage with a man against will of her family has filed a complaint with a court to order police to prevent her eight-year-old sister-in-law from becoming ‘vani’ and taking legal action against the participants of an illegal jirga demanding Rs10 million as ransom from her husband.
She also told court some eight armed men also launched an armed attack on the house of her in-laws on 7 May 2021 to kill her and her husband.
Gul Meena, residing in Fauji Colony, filed a complaint on Wednesday through her lawyer Malik Nadim Akram Awan Advocate with Area Magistrate Police Station Pirwadhai Qazi Waqar Rehmat seeking protection and registration of criminal case against the accused persons.
In the petition, the complainant made Zoheer Jan, Waheed Jan, Muhammad Zaman sons of Sajahan Khan, Muhammad Khan, Niaz Muhammad, Naseeb Jan, Syed Ahmed Jan, Sajian, resident of Sarae Khola Kohistan Colony Taxila and Station House Officers of police stations Pirwadhai and Taxila as respondents.
The court has fixed 9 July 2021 the date for hearing in the complaint besides sending notices to police and other respondents.
According to details, Gul Meena filed a complaint with the court of area magistrate through her lawyer that she has six brothers and six sisters while her father has passed away. She told court that her father left behind ancestral property worth Rs40 million and her brothers and other family members wanted to deprive her from her share in father’s property by giving her in marriage to a person of their choice. Gul Meena argued that her father had finalised her marriage with a man namely Sahibzada Khan. She added she got married with Sahibzada Khan on 26/1/2021 despite resistance and refusal on part of her family members. In order to teach me a lesson, she said, the eight aforementioned men having sophisticated weapons launched an attack at her in-laws house on 7 May 2021 at 11pm. However, Syed Kamal, Bakhatzada and Khanzada and others came forward and rescued her and husband. “My brother Zoheer Jan threatened me not to approach the police or court of law or else he would shoot me dead,” she mentioned in the complaint.
The complainant apprised the court that a jirga was held in Pirwadhai Morr in which the participants including Syed Kamal, Bakhatzada and Khanzada made their efforts to resolve the issue amicably. During the jirga, her brother Zoheer Jan not only forced her husband Sahibzada Khan to wave off loan of Rs3.2 million that Zoheer took from her husband in 2019 but also demanded Rs10 million ransom and Sahibzada Khan’s 8-year-old sister Amna Khan in ‘vani.’ Since the conditions of her brothers were illegal and unethical, she said, the jirga ended without any conclusion. Gul Meena stated before the judge that she and her husband are facing life threat from Zoheer and others and sought legal protection through court. She also pleaded the judge to order Station House Officers of police stations Pirwadhai and Taxila to stop the respondents from taking illegal steps of demanding ransom and forcing her husband to give his sister in ‘vani.’
Area Magistrate Section 30 Qazi Waqar Rehmat accepted the complaint for hearing.
Talking to The Nation, Malik Nadim Akram Awan Advocate confirmed that an illegal jirga was held in limits of police station Pirwadhai during which the brothers of his client demanded ransom and forced her husband to give his 8-year-old sister in ‘vani’ or else the couple would be killed. He said he filed a complaint with area magistrate on behalf of his client Gul Meena for issuing order to police to register First Information Report against the attackers and participants of jirga under sections 498-A/498-B/324/452/506-ii/384 of Pakistan Penal Code.
Newspaper: The Nation
