ISLAMABAD 04 Sep (Online): Truck driver and father-of-seven Mureed Hussain was planning for his daughter\u2019s October wedding when floodwater inundated his home, taking away the entire back wall and, with it, her hard-earned dowry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had been collecting her dowry for almost three years,\u201d he told to AFP from the courtyard of his four-room house, which he shares with his brother\u2019s family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would provide for the house and also spend a little on her dowry.\u201d
\nRecord monsoon rains have caused devastating floods across Pakistan since June, killing more than 1,200 people and leaving almost a third of the country under water, affecting the lives of 33 million.<\/p>\n
The hardest hit are the poor in rural parts of the country, who have seen their homes, belongings, life savings, and crops washed away.<\/p>\n
Hussain\u2019s village in Punjab was badly affected, with floodwater destroying or damaging scores of buildings.<\/p>\n
Also washed away are marriage plans for Hussain\u2019s daughter, Nousheen.
\nEach month Hussain would put away a couple of thousand rupees for her dowry from the Rs17,000 salary ($80) he makes driving trucks.<\/p>\n
It is customary for families in patriarchal Pakistan to provide extravagant dowries when a daughter is married.<\/p>\n
In many areas, parents are expected to start saving up for their daughters\u2019 dowries from the day they are born.<\/p>\n
While demanding a large dowry is officially banned by law, it is still a practice observed by many.<\/p>\n
The families of grooms frequently present the parents of their future daughter-in-law with an extensive list of demands \u2014 including furniture, household goods and clothing.<\/p>\n
In the case of wealthy families, it can even include cars and homes.
\nFailing to come up with the goods is considered shameful, and the bride-to-be often faces ill-treatment by her in-laws if a decent dowry is not provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to marry off my other two daughters after her and one remaining son,\u201d Hussain said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had thought I would be able to do it gradually.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the floods reached his home, Hussain fled with his wife and family to a nearby railway station on elevated land.<\/p>\n
When the waters receded, Hussain trudged through mud two days ago and returned to his home with his wife and daughters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey started crying when they saw the damage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His wife, Sughra Bibi, teared up again as she recalled her shock at the condition of the home \u2014 and her daughter\u2019s dowry.<\/p>\n
Over the years, Sughra had bought a custom-made bed set and dressing table, as well as a juicer, washing machine, iron, bedsheets, and quilts.
\nEverything was badly damaged by the floodwater.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s blackened, so whoever sees it will say we have given her old things,\u201d Sughra said.<\/p>\n
With the wedding called off, Nousheen is putting on a brave face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have seen how difficult it was for my parents to put this dowry together for me. Now they have to do it all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a big problem for us now,\u201d father Hussain said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould we rebuild our house, sow wheat or get our children married? All three things are so important for us. \u201c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD 04 Sep (Online): Truck driver and father-of-seven Mureed Hussain was planning for his daughter\u2019s October wedding when floodwater inundated his home, taking away the entire back wall and, with it, her hard-earned dowry. \u201cI had been collecting her dowry for almost three years,\u201d he […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan-news"],"yoast_head":"\n