Underage Marriage: 7-year-old girl married for protection

Girl married off to cousin to stop 'vani'.


Express May 30, 2011

SUKKUR:


A seven-year-old girl has been married to a 15-year-old to settle a dispute over her cousin’s marriage.


Rashid, a resident of Old Sukkur, had married a girl, Naseem, against her family’s wishes a year ago. The girl’s father, Dangal, declared Rashid’s seven-year-old cousin Naseeman a ‘vani’ and demanded her in marriage.

In order to refuse Dangal, Naseeman’s family married her to a 15-year-old boy, Aslam.

On the day of the nikah, Dangal came with his accomplices to forcibly take Naseeman but she and her family started shouting for help.

On hearing the shouts of the girl and her family, neighbours gathered and the attackers managed to escape.

Naseeman’s family has asked the police to provide security.

They believe that that Dangal would come again to forcibly take Naseeman.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2011.

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