The family of Adeel Masood – who has ‘married for love’ in Britian – is being harassed and tortured by the girl’s family. Even though the couple married out of volition, the girl’s family was not in favour of the union. Now they are threatening Masood’s family with grievous consequences if he does not go ahead and divorce his wife.
According to details, Karachi resident Adeel Masood s/o Syed Masood Hamid Wasti got married to a British citizen Samia Bibi against the will of the girl’s family in 2009. Soon after the marriage took place in Britain, the girl’s close relatives in Pakistan started pressurising Adeel’s family in Pakistan and demanded a divorce. Samia’s parents wanted her to get remarried to one of her close relative in Pakistan but Samia, however, did not want to go through with this and instead married Adeel consensually.
After her marriage to Adeel, those relatives of Samia who wanted her to get married to their son in Pakistan have been trying all kinds of tactics to get her divorced. These relatives have made this an issue of ‘honour’ and ‘prestige’ of the family and want to get Samia married to their son by hook or by crook. To this end, they are putting intense pressure on Adeel’s family so that they can force him to divorce his wife.
Adeel’s family has changed their residence several times due to threats to their life and safety. The harassment has reached such an extent that Adeel’s brother Mehmood Masood Wasti was even subjected to physical and mental torture by the girl’s family and given an ultimatum. He was threatened that if Adeel would not return to Pakistan after divorcing Samia in two weeks, a spectacle would be made of Adeel’s entire family and they would be terrorised.
Adeel’s family has informed the local police about this shameful incident. However, no action has been taken so far by the police because of the social and political influence of the suspects.
Samia has also reportedly taken up her grievances with the Forced Marriage Unit of the UK Home Office and has requested their help in this matter as her parents were forcing her to get married to the son of their close relative against her will.
