Five jirga members arrested in vani case

Girl was used to compensate for uncle’s crime

MANSEHRA: Oghi police have registered a criminal case against 15 jirga members, including the prayer leader, for giving a minor girl as vani to strike a compromise between the rival families in a remote village of Oghi tehsil on Saturday.
“We have arrested five of the jirga members while search for the other 10 members is under way,” Oghi SHO Amir Khan told The Express Tribune.



He said he arrested five of the accused from the remote village of Patiyan. “I became the complainant myself and arrested the accused since no one was willing to lodge the complaint against the jirga members.”

A criminal case was registered against the 15 jirga members, including the prayer leader, under Section 310-A of Pakistan Penal Code.

According to this act, whoever gives a girl in marriage or otherwise compels her to enter into marriage, as badal-e-sulh, vani, or swara, shall be punished with imprisonment of no less than three years and shall also be liable to a fine of Rs500,000.

The nominated accused were Haider Khan, Abdullah Jan, Molvi Abdul Aziz, Yunas, Siyal Naz, Fazal Din, Naseeb Gul, Alamdad, Qaisar Dad, Hukum Dad, Fateh Khan, Rehmat Din, Anzar, Ammar Khan and Khawis. While those arrested included Molvi Abdul Aziz, Haidar Khan, Anzar Khan, Ammar Khan and Khawis. On the decision of the court of Oghi judicial magistrate, the accused were handed over to investigation staff for a two-day physical remand.

The nikkah of Samra*, 18, and Shah Nawaz took place around a month ago and the rukhsati was due after Eidul Fitr. However, five days ago, Samra* reportedly eloped with Aslam*. When it was discovered that Samra eloped with Aslam, a local jirga of councillors of the area persuaded Aslam’s family to return Samra.



They also asked them to give a girl from their family to Shah Nawaz’s brother, Kamran, as vani. Samra was then brought back to her family while eight-year-old Sidra*, Aslam’s brother’s daughter, was given in marriage to 11-year-old Kamran, as vani.

According to the police, during the last one month, this was the second case in Mansehra district and third in the whole of Hazara Division where minor girls were given as vani to strike a compromise between rival groups. The centuries-old custom is practised to convert intense enmities into blood relationships, using girls as exchange commodities, in order to reach harmonious conclusions.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2016.