Men arrested in Pakistan for ‘joking’ that they were married
A gay couple in Pakistan have been arrested for holding a marriage ceremony, which they later said to police was just a “joke”.
The couple, as well as the man who performed the marriage, reading their Nikkah, and three others, were arrested in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
Authorities said the marriage was not “serious”, and that the men had said they were “just joking”.
“We have arrested four people, including the couple, who are under investigation,” Station House Officer Gandawa PS Zulfiqar Jamali told The Express Tribune.
“The young men during the investigation have said it was not a serious marriage as they were just joking,” he continued.
He added: “The man who read out the Nikkah was not a religious cleric nor was he authorised to do that.”
According to reports, the men were subjected to “medical” tests in an attempt to ascertain whether they had sex.
Although such cases are rarely reported in Balochistan, the society is highly conservative.
Cases were brought against the men, registered as “same sexuality offences”.
