LAHORE: A Pakistani woman who survived an attack by relatives who tried to kill her for marrying for love said yesterday that she feared for her life and appealed for protection.
Saba Maqsood survived being shot and thrown in a canal by her family on Thursday, weeks after the “honour killing” of another woman in Pakistan drew worldwide condemnation.
Maqsood angered her family by marrying the man of her choice a few days ago in the Punjabi city of Gujranwala - an act of defiance in a conservative part of Pakistan where women are expected to agree to arranged marriages.
“Even though police provided me with security, I fear that my family will try to kill me and my husband,” Maqsood said.
MQM chief back in UK custody
LONDON: Altaf Hussain, the exiled leader of Pakistan’s MQM party, was returned to a police station in Britain for questioning yesterday after spending three days in hospital, officers said.
Hussain’s arrest at his suburban home in London on Tuesday in connection with alleged money laundering sparked protests in the city of Karachi, his party’s power base, and has fuelled questions about the future of the MQM’s political machine.
A spokeswoman for London’s Metropolitan Police said that following his arrest, 60-year-old Hussain had been allowed to attend a prearranged medical appointment on Tuesday.
“At the request of medical professionals, he was kept in hospital until today,” the spokeswoman said.
Facebook blocks rock band page
ISLAMABAD: Facebook has blocked the page of a liberal rock band and others that criticise the Taliban, at the request of the government, angering activists campaigning against censorship in the country. Rock band Laal (Red) formed in 2007 and is known for their progressive politics. Their Facebook page has more than 400,000 likes, with users frequently joining debates on issues ranging from feminism to the role of the army in politics. “Facebook didn’t inform us, I realised when I noticed no activity on our page,” Taimur Rahman, Laal’s lead guitarist, said. AGENCIES
