Pakistani Wife Tortured by Husband

(Peshawar, Pakistan) Postal worker Abdul Shakoor, 49, married 16-year-old Nazakat last November and then commenced abusing her. He beat her, repeatedly tortured her with knives, and threatened to kill her.

In May, Shakoor administered several blows to Nazakat's womb, causing her to lose a baby. Nazakat and her father went to the police in Kharian (between Lahore and Rawalpindi) to register a complaint against Shakoor. The Kharian Police refused to accept a complaint.

Not long afterward, Shakoor tied Nazakat to the bed and shaved her head, considered the worst torture a girl could experience. Nazakat's father, 75-year-old Raza Khan, rescued her from the bindings and they went to the Kharian Police who again refused to register a complaint.

Subsequently, Nazakat and her father went to Voice of Prisoners, a free legal aid organization.

"The accused used to target sensitive parts of her body for torture as well as keeping her locked for weeks. The accused also shot at her twice but (miraculously) she survived," Noor Alam Khan, chairman Voice of Prisoners, disclosed.

With the aid of Voice of Prisoners, Nazakat is attempting to get help from President Musharraf. Her family is also seeking an explanation from the Kharian Police and will petition the Lahore High Court and the Family Court.

Coupled with a previous post, this story is another example of how women are mistreated in Pakistan with scant help available from law enforcement authorities.