Nida Welfare Society (NWS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is likely to submit another application regarding the implementation of court orders in the case of Safia Ghafoor’s “unregistered nikah” to Abbass Azam. The orders had been issued by the District Sessions Judge (Okara), not to marry nine-year-old Safia to her 35-year-old cousin Abbass (a physically challenged person) till she had attained puberty. Despite that, the ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ were still living together, according to NWS chairperson Fouzia Chughtai.
On December 25, 2007, Safia, daughter of Abdul Ghafoor, a resident of Chak 33-1 Al-Akhtarabad, was forced to marry Abbass, to settle a gambling debt. Ghafoor owed gambling money to his sister-in-lawÂ’s husband, so he wed Sofia to her son as compensation.
On the intervention of the NWS, the court had directed the Shergarh station house officer to recover the minor and produce her in the court. Abdul Ghafoor had confessed to the court that there had been no written nikah and Safia was a minor. He told the court that he had shown a forged birth certificate to the police. On January 11, the court had passed orders that since Safia was only 9, she should not be married to Abbass yet. Fouzia said the NWS would seek the courtÂ’s help, because Abdul Ghafoor was in contempt of court. She said Abdul Ghafoor should be prosecuted under the relevant provisions of law, as he had not complied with court orders.