Justice Denied

Legal assistance provided by the Foundation in District
Abbottabad provides distressing insights into the lives of
poor women. Data from the first 15 months since the
assistance was offered in March 2011 shows that nearly
half of the total 134 cases were claims for maintenance
made by estranged wives that had no personal income and
were generally from poor households.
Abused 28-year old Amber is from a poor family. She is the
only daughter and the eldest among four siblings. Despite
financial hardships, Amber completed her post-graduate
education. In 2010, she was married to a policeman,
Imtiaz, whose attitude was harsh and hostile. Soon, he
began beating Amber on the slightest pretext. “You don’t
know how to cook a decent meal,” he would sneer. The
birth of her son brought little respite. “Once he struck me
so hard I started bleeding. He said he wanted to kill me,”
she claimed. Fearing for her life, Amber fled to her parent’s
home. A jirga called by Imtiaz directed Amber to return to
her husband’s home. It also asked Imtiaz to desist from
physical abuse and to pay maintenance. Amber complied
with the jirga’s decision, but little changed after she
returned to her husband’s home. She received more
beatings and abuse. “My husband knew that my parent’s
are poor, and that I have nobody to turn to, that’s why he
abused me,” believes Amber. In December 2011, after
another quarrel and severe beating that left Amber
injured, Imtiaz turned her out of his house. She
approached the local police, but they refused to file an FIR.
Amber is now with her parents and is looking for
employment. She is also receiving legal assistance from the
Foundation to file a case for maintenance and dower. “I do
not want to add to the burdens of my poor parents. That’s
why I am seeking maintenance,” she said.
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