HYDERABAD: Sindh Parliamentary Secretary Saima Agha visited village Muhammad Sadiq Arain in Jacobabad to express solidarity with the families whose homes were torched following a dispute over love marriage.
During the visit, she met the affected families and inspected the burnt houses.
Speaking to the media, she said she had reached the village on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
She said the houses that had been set on fire would be constructed by the Sindh government under the Peoples Housing Programme.
Agha said that marrying by choice was not a crime, and both the religion and the law permitted such marriages.
She termed setting houses on fire a tragic and criminal act, and said the government wanted those involved to be punished.
The parliamentary secretary said the SSP had promptly registered an FIR and arrested 10 suspects who were currently being interrogated. The government would approach the court to seek cancellation of bail granted to some accused persons, she added.
She said the district administration was providing relief to the affected families, while the Jacobabad deputy commissioner had been directed to ensure that all basic needs of the victims were fulfilled.
Agha said the purpose of her visit was to ensure rehabilitation of the affected families and reconstruction of their houses.
She lamented that although love marriage was not a crime, women in society were still being denied their rights.
She remarked that the couple who had contracted the marriage were living a peaceful life in Karachi.
