Author: IANS
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: July 12, 2004
URL: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEL20040710062607&Page=L&Title=B+R+E+A+K+I+N+G++++N+E+W+S&Topic=0&
A Pakistani woman who married against
her brother's wishes has appealed to President Pervez Musharraf to save
her from a threatened honour killing.
The couple, both doctors, are "running
for life from one end of Pakistan to the other, trying to shake power corridors
for succour to save their lives," The News reported Saturday.
"Their crime: marriage that was
rejected by the woman's influential brothers and she was declared entitled
to punishment under 'karo- kari' (honour killing)," it added.
Amnat Solangi, 44, is a gynaecologist
and her husband, Ghulam Mustafa Solangi, 47, is skin specialist. Both belong
to the Solangi tribe of Sindh province.
They married under the Muslim Family
Law Ordinance on November 30, 2002 in Karachi.
"While Musharraf continues to harp
on the theme of tolerance and enlightened moderation and strongly condemns
karo-kari, why isn't he listening to our repeated pleas?" Amnat asked while
speaking to The News.
"The cruel universally despised
feudal domination is involved in protecting and promoting Amnat's brothers.
"Reconciliation was attempted through
(a district official) but it was aborted because he latter sided with Amnat's
brothers," The News said.
The root of the problem is that
Amnat's brothers had lose access to her earnings after her marriage.
"I used to give them all what I
was earning. They recently sold a private medical centre purchased by them
from my earnings. All the property is in their name," she told The News.
"We are living in constant danger
of being killed by Amnat's brothers," her husband added.
"Does the treatment being meted
out to highly educated people like us need any elaboration?
"We are mentally and financially
exhausted; we want to earn our living honestly through our professional
work," Amanat contended.
The couple's difficulties continue
in spite of Amnat filing a constitutional petition in August 2003 asking
the Sindh High court to protect their lives and prevent her brothers from
filing false charges against them. The case is still pending, The News
noted.
