KHANEWAL, March 10: A local civil court on Monday sent a girl to Darul Aman in a love marriage case.
Eighteen-year-old Samreen, a student at Khanewal Commerce College, married Burhan, a resident of block-5 of her will.
As the marriage was done without the consent of the respective families of the lovebirds, they fled from Khanewal to Rahim Yar Khan to avoid consequences.
Samreen’s father, Naeem khan Daha, after finding no clue to his daughter, lodged an application with the city police saying she had gone missing.
On receiving a tip-off, a police party reportedly raided a house in Rahim Yar Khan and recovered the couple on Sunday. The couple was kept at the police station where Samreen’s parents and some relatives were allowed by police to meet her.
Sources said the parents tried to convince Samreen that she should deny the marriage and go with them, but she refused, saying she wanted to live with Burhan.
City police SHO Muzaffar Shah, after recording Samreen’s statement in his office took the couple to the court.
The sources said instead of producing Samreen before the judge, she was made to sit in the police van and only her statement was submitted with the court.
The court ordered police to send Samreen to Darul Aman.
The sources said Samreen, in her statement, had said she might be killed by her parents in case she refused to deny the marriage.
“We have sent the girl to Darul Aman as per court orders from where she can move with her husband if she asks for it,” SHO Muzaffar Shah told Dawn.
Denying conducting any raid in Rahim Yar Khan, the SHO said Burhan and Samreen had courted arrest. He also denied Samreen had mentioned any threat to her life in her statement.
According to a local rights activist, Rao Muhammad Akram Khurram Advocate, Samreen was denied the right to be presented in the court which was illegal.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/11/2008
