In Pakistan and its surrounding countries, arranged marriage is a common practice. Aasia Bibi, a 21-year-old Pakistan woman, refused marriage proposals from her relative twice but her parents forced her to marry him. After the wedding, Bibi tried to escape her marriage by poisoning her husband, but instead, she accidentally killed 17 extended family members of her husband including a young girl. [Courtesy of Pixabay]
A 21-year-old Pakistani bride, Aasia Bibi, was forced into an arranged marriage to her relative by her parents. She begged them that she did not want to. However, her parents refused her plea and gave her to an arranged groom in September.
After the wedding, Bibi fled from her husband and went to her parents' house, asking them if she can stay and get a divorce. She told her parents she would do anything to escape the marriage but they did not allow her to divorce her husband and forced her to return to her husband's home.
In fact, Bibi already had a boyfriend she loved before getting forced into an arranged marriage. She wanted to be with him. When she sought his advice, her lover, Shahid Lashari, handed her "poisonous substances" she can use so she can escape the marriage.
The desperate bride mixed the poison in milk and offered it to her husband to drink. He refused and the milk was used to make lassi, a yogurt-based drink, by her mother-in-law. About 27 family members drank the tainted lassi and all lost consciousness. They were hospitalized and 17 people passed away during the treatment. Her husband was not among the deceased.
Bibi and her boyfriend were arrested for murder. Lashari later confessed that he gave the poison to Bibi.
The bride expressed remorse and told the local media that she did not intend to harm other people but only her husband.
Kwak, Min Jung = abiel@ajunews.com
