In a startling turn of events, Sana Hussain, from Basti Kacha Sabzani, Rahim Yar Khan, has come forward with a harrowing account of a forced marriage decree imposed by a jirga.
Sana married Mansoor Gopang of the same area with her own free will.
The jirga, allegedly orchestrated by influential local landlords, decreed that Mansoor’s sister, 17-year-old Sumera, must marry Sana’s own father, Muhammad Hussain, 65, as a form of ‘Vani’ due to the couple’s marriage without the elders’ consent.
Recounting the events in a video statement, Sana revealed, “We married out of our own free will, but the Sardars of our clan, including Sardar Abdul Ghafoor Gopang, Sardar Yaqoob Gopang, Sardar Salim Gopang, and Sardar Bashir Gopang, organized a Jirga at Chak No.105-P, Rahim Yar Khan, and decided upon this marriage exchange.”
Both Sana and Mansoor expressed their refusal to comply with the Jirga’s verdict stating that they would not obey the decision of Jirga because it was against the teachings of their religion.
Sana further told that the decision of Jirga was also against the judicial system of the country
and questioned how anyone can establish his own courts.
The couple also said that they would not allow the marriage of Sumera at any cost, but they were facing many difficulties and hiding themselves to save their lives.
In the face of their defiance, the landlords reportedly resorted to threatening the couple with dire consequences, including registering fake kidnapping cases against them in multiple police stations, such as Rukanpur, Abadpur, B Division RYK, and Karachi, in an attempt to coerce their compliance with the Vani decision.
“We are struggling to stay alive and are forced to hide,” Sana lamented in the video statement.
When approached for comments, district police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains confirmed the existence of a registered FIR 198/23 under section 365 at the Rukanpur police station, initially filed by the parents of Sara Hussain alleging her kidnapping.
However, the FIR was later dismissed following a statement of 164. Wains assured that the police were investigating the matter and would handle it in accordance with the law.
“We are looking into all aspects of the case and will ensure that justice prevails,” Wains concluded, emphasizing the commitment of law enforcement to uphold the rule of law in the region.
As the situation unfolds, the plight of Sana and Mansoor continues to draw attention to the persistent issue of forced marriages and the challenges in upholding individual rights within certain communities in Pakistan.
