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This World - Forced to Marry

Logo for This World - Forced to Marry

Saira Khan investigates the dramatic stories of British Asians taken to Pakistan by their parents and forced to marry against their will. With exclusive access to the Government's Forced Marriages Unit and its office in Islamabad, the programme follows the dramatic rescues of young women in remote rural communities in Pakistan. For reasons of immigration, honour, money and family ties, some British Pakistani parents insist their children marry cousins and will ignore their wishes. If girls refuse they face being cut off from their families or worse. With the government introducing new powers to try and stop the practice, Saira Khan asks why in the 21st Century the forced marriages still happen.