The Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed a girl on Friday to go with her parents when she admitted to have contracted a love marriage under “a spell of immature impulses” and said it was the biggest blunder of her life. Being deeply in love, Yasmeen, a resident of Hanjerwal eloped with Imran of Islampura, Lahore and married him in August without the consent of their families.
Bilal, father of Yasmeen registered a first information report (FIR) at the Hanjerwal Police Station on August 5 on charges of abduction against Imran and his family members Kishwar, Ashraf and Shahbaz. To counter the situation, the couple planned to calm down Yasmeen’s parents through “reconciliation” and to actualise the plan, the girl returned to her parents’ home in Hanjerwal. Later, against the plan, Yasmeen did not return to Imran who thought his in-laws probably brainwashed his wife.
Imran therefore registered an FIR at the Islampura Police Station against Bilal on charges of torturing his wife and keeping her in illegal custody. Upon that Bilal was arrested. This perhaps hurt Yasmeen’s “daughterly feelings” and she decided not to live with Imran. Later, Imran moved a petition in the LHC for the recovery of his wife and the court ordered the Hanjerwal Police station house officer to produce the girl before the court.
On Friday, when she was brought to Justice Anwarul Haq’s court, Yasmeen stunned the court and the hopeful husband by saying her decision of marrying for love was a blunder and she did not want to return to her husband. She told the judge: “Imran persuaded me to elope and contract marriage which I perhaps never wanted to do, and now that I have realised my mistake, I will do what pleases my parents.”
The judge allowed her to go with her parents. Later, talking to reporters in the LHC compound, Yasmeen warned young girls against love marriages and said she was regretting her decision. She said: “By this experience I have learnt that arranged marriage is the best option for girls.” Yasmeen also urged young girls not to go against the wishes of their parents in matters of marriage and love.
