TEHRAN: Thanks to swift intervention by Iranian police, a young Pakistani woman who was allegedly taken illegally to Iran and coerced into marriage has been rescued. The rescue was prompted after the woman, an orphan and mother of a nearly one-year-old child, sent a desperate video plea to Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, seeking help to escape her captors.
In her message, she pleaded, “Governor sahib! Please help me free myself from this man who has unlawfully married me. If I don’t get help within two days, I will end my life.” The woman, who is currently four months pregnant, was in a vulnerable state, and her urgent appeal prompted immediate action.
The woman’s family had lost contact with her nearly two and a half years ago. She is the youngest among her siblings, having lost her parents six and sixteen years ago. Previously residing in Nishtar Colony, Latifabad, Hyderabad, she had been pursuing her education before financial hardships halted her dreams.
Her brother recounted that the first contact was made on August 14, 2023, through an Iranian phone number, claiming to be her husband. Despite attempts to reconnect, the number was no longer reachable. Suspicions arose when she disappeared, and it was later revealed that she had been kidnapped and forced into marriage with a man named Imran Bhatti, a resident of District Ghotki.
The family filed an FIR on September 18, 2023, but efforts to locate her proved unsuccessful. An unverified birth certificate suggests she was born on March 25, 1994, and she completed her secondary education in April 2010. In her video message, she admitted to lacking official identification documents such as an ID card or passport.
According to a marriage certificate, her marriage was solemnized on September 10, 2023, with her husband, who was born on July 16, 1986, and resides in Al-Qutub Town, Dharki. However, her name and father’s details had been altered, and her address was falsely listed as Rahim Yar Khan.
The woman had previously contacted her family from an unknown number, describing her dire situation in Kushk-e-Nar, Hormozgan Province, and pleading for help. Despite efforts by local authorities, including reaching out to a provincial MPA and the Sindh Interior Minister, no assistance was forthcoming until her message reached Governor Tessori.
Expressing profound gratitude, her brother praised Tessori for his timely intervention, saying, “He is an angel for our family. Not only did he save my sister’s life, but he also restored our family’s dignity.”Following the message, Tessori coordinated with Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan and Iranian authorities to ensure her safe return. Thanks to this collaboration, the woman was rescued and is now in safe hands in Iran, with plans for her to return to Karachi soon, funded by the governor himself.
