A couple, uprooted from their native land, has been wandering on the roads of Islamabad for the last several months after their love marriage was turned down by their parents, and their tribesmen became violent towards them.
Their only wish is to seek happiness and pleasure in life. However, they are now caught in a nightmare and have become helpless because of the situation at hand.
This is also a slap on the face of police and judicial system at the grassroots level that has failed to provide relief to the young couple from the atrocities of their families.
Rather than helping and guarding them, the police have made their life hell in their own area, and subsequently, both are forced to wander around Islamabad to stay safe.
Jamil Shah of Rajanpur and Salam Bibi of Rahim Yar Khan fell in love after talking to each other on the phone, and ended up getting married. According to the couple, Jamil Shah sent his family to Salma’s parents but they refused while maintaining that they would only marry their daughter off to someone within the family.
The two married each other against the will of Salma’s parents. This made Salma’s family angry and furious. They lodged an FIR against Jamil Shah with fake allegations of kidnapping.
Local police imprisoned Shah’s elderly father. He has not been produced before any court and is being tortured for the last many months.
Salma’s father is a Qazi by profession and registered her marriage with someone else from his family. He made sure that the fake nikkah nama was registered with dates that pre-date Jamil’s marriage with her.
Both the husband and wife have been wandering the roads of Islamabad for the last month. They go from one office to another, speak to one journalist after another, trying to find help and assistance. However, the city has bigger problems to deal with and their issue is swept under the rug.
This is not the first time that South Punjab has witnessed social values and ignorant attitudes mar the lives of young couples. Such couples are left miserable and vulnerable to the extent that most of them lose their lives while trying to find support and assistance from the formal law implementation agencies,
especially Police.
