It's the look in her eyes that is most revealing: the emptiness contained there reads like the pages of a tragic memoir. And the pursed lips, clamped shut in a gesture that belies the stories she wants to tell, the words that have risen in her throat, forced back by fear, or a sense of duty, or both.
There is also a lingering beauty in the features of her face. It's obvious that Shazia Chahchar was a beautiful woman once, but that elegance has faded, become worn out and tired. The youthful allure that is the trademark of young dreamers has crumbled under the weight of the harsh realities of life.
"I used to have dreams," she says, cradling her two-month-old son, her third child in five years. "But I've forgotten them all now."
Five years ago, Shazia told me about those dreams. She wanted to be a doctor, she said, a reasonable ambition for any 16-year-old, under normal circumstances. She wanted to do something to help the young women in Sindh's rural hinterlands - an altruistic motivation that filled my mind with respect for this slight, soft-spoken young woman.
Shazia, you see, didn't live under normal circumstances. Her world - the poor villages of Shikarpur district in Pakistan's rough-and-tumble centre - is a place where young girls are treated like property, bought and sold and traded by their male overlords, paid as compensation for land disputes, killed and raped for the slightest perceived transgressions. It's a place where girls are not supposed to dream.
But Shazia was unlike most of the girls and women I'd met during my two weeks researching the honour crimes phenomenon in Sindh. She had plans; she saw a future outside of the usual one reserved for poor villagers. And she was working hard for that future.
But then she made a fatal mistake: she fell in love.
In some ways, Shazia's story is a typical tale of tragic love, a South Asian Romeo and Juliet tragedy pitting one family against another in a world where passion and desire are emotions reserved for men.
It begins at midnight in 2004, in the wheat fields of Rethi village, a dangerous place even if you're not on the run - lawless and riddled with tribal wars. Shazia's ordeal unfolds with a meeting with her sweetheart, Ehsan, another secret encounter in an eight-month-long clandestine relationship, as innocent as it is perilous. Shazia is desperate. She has run out of her family's home after her father announced she was to be sold to a man 10 years her elder and a known criminal.
"He was a savage," says Shazia, who was 14 at the time. "I knew I could never marry him. I'd rather kill myself."
When she reaches Ehsan, she gives him an ultimatum: marry her or she would jump in the Indus River.
The next day, they were husband and wife, and running for their lives from Shazia's family. In the code of "honour" in this part of Pakistan, considered the honour crime capital of the world, Shazia was a black stain on the family. She was kari - a black woman - and the only way to cleanse the family name was her death.
Seven years have passed since that fateful night but Shazia's ordeal still hasn't ended. Abandoned by Pakistan's legal system, she lives life in a constant state of pause, a prisoner in the home of her in-laws, unable to leave the walled compound for fear that her family will take the opportunity to kill her. Her grandfather has died, her sister also, but she was unable to attend their funerals.
The desperation I heard in her voice when we first met five years ago has dissolved into a kind of stoic resolve.
"People tell me I married for love," she says, "that I should be strong. But how can I be strong when I have to live like this?"
Certainly, the ravages of captivity have taken their toll. Shazia is now 21 but her features exhibit all the pallor of a woman entering middle age. Flickers of vitality emerge only when she talks about her three children. They are her lifeline in a world that has lost all other meaning.
"God has blessed me," she says, beaming all her love into the face of her youngest child. "He has given me three boys. At least I don't have to watch a daughter suffer the way I have."
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
More coverage from the Future Forum
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Kalra's feat
- Becomes fifth batsman to score century in U19 final
- Becomes second Indian to score century in U19 final after Unmukt Chand in 2012
- Scored 122 in youth Test on tour of England
- Bought by Delhi Daredevils for base price of two million Indian rupees (Dh115,000) in 2018 IPL auction
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Political flags or banners
-
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
