Police have said that they acted on a tip-off.
A 60-year-old Pakistani man was arrested for trying to marry a girl, aged 12, in the city of Sadiqabad.
The custom of child marriage is still seen in Pakistan. While forced marriages are illegal, they still happen.
It was reported that the girl was being forced to marry the man. The incident took place on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.
The marriage was about to take place before police officers made a timely raid.
Police have said that they acted on a tip-off. When they received the information, they went to Chak-148 in Sadiqabad where they conducted a raid.
They managed to prevent the marriage from taking place and recovered the young girl.
Six people were arrested in the raid. The 60-year-old Pakistani man was taken into custody along with the girl’s father, brother as well as three other members of her family.
However, police officers have stated that the groom’s family and the marriage registrar were able to flee the scene.
UrduPoint reported that a case was registered against the suspects under the Child Marriage Restraint Act.
Those who were arrested are to be presented before the court soon. Meanwhile, police are working to arrest the other suspects.
In a similar case of a child being forced to marry, an 11-year-old girl was forced to get married in the village of Shabun Machi.
The girl was set to get married as punishment for her father having an affair. This is a custom known as vani.
The panchayat (village council ) found out about the affair and told the man and woman to leave the village. One village member suggested that the man’s daughter should be given in vani to settle the dispute.
The man eventually agreed to give his daughter for marriage. However, the man’s screams alerted neighbours who then informed the police.
A police team arrived at the scene and arrested four men, including the marriage registrar and the girl’s father.
The bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 was approved by the National Assembly on the week commencing June 17, 2019.
It raised the minimum age of marriage to eighteen years. This would open a new era for the development of women in the country, resolving the complications and problems relating to marriage at an early age.
The bill was moved by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman and it was passed after considerable debates.
The members of the political parties were divided on the bill as many women supported its introduction. However, many male members were reluctant to lend their support.
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