Nyla Khan, now 30, has spoken about being forced to marry her cousin in Pakistan at the age of 17. She was taken from Scotland by her family, who she says had promised her to her cousin from a young age.
Ms Khan, who grew up in a strict Mirpuri Muslim family, said she felt the arrangement was 'morally wrong'. She described her upbringing as 'really strict', with her parents paranoid about her becoming 'Westernised'.
At 17, she was taken to Pakistan and woke up to find her family in her room, accusing her of sinning and bringing shame on the family. She was told the only way to fix this was to marry her cousin. After constant pressure, she eventually gave in, feeling she had no control.
After five weeks in Pakistan, the family returned to Scotland without her husband. A few months later, Ms Khan ran away to stay with a friend for a year, during which she faced abuse from family and community members. She eventually returned home 'completely broken' and tearful, but her parents took her back.
Ms Khan later obtained a divorce and studied social work at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. She now lives in Edinburgh and describes herself as an 'independent Muslim woman'. Forced marriage is a criminal offence in the UK, and the Forced Marriage Unit reported a 47% rise in cases last year, with Pakistan accounting for 44% of cases.
Ms Khan believes education and awareness are key to tackling forced marriage, and that parents need to understand the emotional, physical and spiritual impact on their daughters.
