As a staff nurse, Sofia* worked at Jinnah National Hospital, Hyderabad. A policeman was following her from her nursing hostel to the hospital. She felt very uneasy. This continued for some time. One day, he approached her and said: “I want to marry you.” Her terse response was: “I’m a Christian and will marry you only if you become a Christian.” He started to go to church with her. He, Alam, introduced her to his family but concealed that she was a Christian. He took Sofia to a maulvi (religious leader) on some other pretext, but he performs their marriage. He asked them to recite their prayers and declared them married. The certificate stated they were married according to the Muslim Rite, with her name recorded as Razzia. She erupted in anger and demanded an immediate divorce. He now promised to marry according to the Christian Rite. No church was prepared to marry them. 

When their daughter was born, she named her Grace. Alam insisted on naming her Naseem. He threatened to take to disappear with the daughter. Before he could do so, Sofia fled to her sister in Peshawar. On contacting her, Alam promised to live in peace.

When their son was born, she named him Elisha. Alam often returned home drunk and became violent. He called her a kafir (an abhorrent unbeliever). She was only allowed to go for her duty. When she admitted Grace to a Catholic school, he wanted her admitted to a madrassa (Islamic school). Because she refused to pronounce the Kalma (Islam creed), Alam threatened that he would declare that she abused the Prophet. An allegation which carries the death sentence. He even threatened to set her alight when asleep.