Save Anaida

She's the ultimate runaway bride. When Anaida Kousar's parents in Kathar in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir announced her marriage to a relative last week, the 16-year-old decided that she had to get away.

And she did, moving out to where few Pakistani women have gone before — across the border. She crossed the Line of Control and landed up in India. "My parents were forcing me into a marriage, that's why I ran away from there," Anaida says.

A Class 10 student and the youngest of seven children, Kousar says she wants to marry a boy called Shahzad, who studies in her school. Her parents have told her they are opposed to the match. But the teenager, not surprisingly, is holding her ground.

"I would go back only if the Pakistan authorities assure me of my safety and my parents agree to my wishes," Anaida now says.

But despite her pleas, both India and Pakistan governments have decided that Anaida will be handed over to the Pakistan Army soon. [link]

We can pretty much guess what will happen if she is handed over to the Pakistani Army. Please save Anaida. Demand that the India Government initiates diplomatic dialog and gives the issue wide international coverage so that the media glare prevents immediate reprisal against the girl by Pak authorities.