A wedding party for two brothers from Lodhran had to return ‘empty-handed’ after the family of brides refused to marry them for failing to bring gifts of clothes and gold jewellery.
Haji Yaqub had arranged marriage of his sons Kamran Yaqub and Haider Yaqub to two sisters Saima* and Faiza* of Mohallah Islam Nagar.
Rashid Ahmad, one of the wedding guests, said the brides’ parents had asked for clothes and jewellery soon after the wedding party arrived at the hotel.
“They had an argument after the girls’ family told Haji Yaqub he had promised to give two gold sets to each of the brides.”
He said the girls’ family had also promised a Rs500,000 dowry to the newly-wed.
“They kept their word and sent the dowry to Lodhran. But Haji Yaqub refused to give clothes and jewellery.”
He said the brides-to-be had also refused to solemnise nikah without receiving the promised clothes and jewellery. He said elders of the village tried to mediate. “When the argument got hot, they decided to call off the weddings,” he said. He said the wedding party then left for Lodhran without the brides having signed an agreement to return the dowry.
The names have been changes to protect identities
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.