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Arranged marriages in Pakistan have been around ever since the country’s inception and even before that. The concept of a husband-wife not knowing each other has been passed on to us by generations that preceded us and will continue to stay formal for the generations that will follow.
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The concept of arranged marriages works and is thought to be the right channel for marriage in the country, with societal preference over love marriages. However, sometimes things do not go well for the arranged couple and mishaps in the marriage occur.
Have you heard of a marriage mishap so bad that more than a dozen people end up losing their life? That is exactly what happened in Muzzafargarh. A woman, unhappy with her arranged marriage to her cousin, hatched a plan and ended up killing 13 of her in-laws.
The woman Aasia Bibi was married to her cousin Amjad. A few months after the marriage and a bundle of quarrels and fights, Aasia decided to take revenge and settle the issue once and for all. With the help of her sister and a male friend, Aasia, while the whole family was present for lunch, mixed rat poison in the curd that was used to make lassi.
Thirteen members of the Lashari family, where she was married, ended up losing their lives and another 6 are thought to be in critical condition. The victims were taken to the Nishtar Hospital in Multan, but the poison had kicked in completely by then.
Police, however after the incident, arrested Aasia Bibi and her accomplices which included Shahid and her sister Zareena. The poisonous tale of this bad marriage is sure to leave a bitter taste on the tongues of many couples who are in an arranged marriage.
Such marriages are the sole reason why Islam also considers a woman’s right to where she wants to marry. Arranged marriages do not always turn out like this, but when they, do make national news.
