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Vani woman files case against father and would-be husband

* Decade-old enmity may surface again

Staff Report

MIANWALI: The registration of a case u/s 310-A, 109 PPC with Police Station Wan Bhachran has revived an old enmity among the families of a clan in Pacca Ghanjera village in Mianwali.

The story dates back to 1960 when Sahalat and Muhammad, the sons of Sultan, and Abdul Rehman, the son of Ghulam Ahmad, killed Muhammad Rafiqe Soi, over a land dispute. A case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Musakehl Police Station and the district and sessions court had sentenced them to death. In 1982, both parties reached an agreement after the intervention of Peer Rang Shah and Haji Muhammad Sher.

The terms of agreement included that three women would be married as Vani to the men of aggrieved family. Alam Khatoon, the daughter of Sahalat, was married to Ismail, the brother of deceased, Rafiqe, who were adults at that time. Ismail died five or six years ago leaving his wife and six children.

Naheed Akhtar, the daughter of Muhammad Zaman, was to marry Irfan, the grandson of the deceased. Both Naheed and Irfan were one-year old at that time and their nikah was performed. The third girl, Khatoon, the daughter of Akbar, was to marry Ahmed Nawaz, the nephew of Rafiqe. Both Khatoon and Nawaz were one-year old at that time when their nikah was sermonised. Prayer leader Maulvi Noor Muhammad performed the nikahs. The agreement stood for 24 years. During this period, the couples attained puberty but did not consummate their marriage. In 2005, the government made a law against vani.

Now, Naheed Akhtar and Khatoon are 24 to 25 years old and both of them had refused to go with their grooms. Naheed filed a petition in court against Irfan, Nawaz and her father. She said they did not accept the nikah, as it had been performed forcibly during their childhood, adding that they had been made scapegoats by their elders for saving their skin. The case would revive old enmity between the families.

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