Women’s rights: Man sells daughter into marriage

Neighbours say girl was only 10 years old and wedded forcibly.

MIAN CHANNU:

A man has sold his daughter to a 40-year-old in marriage for Rs30,000 in Mian Channu.

His neighbours claim that the girl is only 10-year-old and that the man had forcibly wedded her off. Zulfiqar, Bismillah Town resident, however, says that his daughter was 18 years old. He said she had to get married one day. He said he was poor and could not afford to keep her at his house so he decided to wed her off.

He said Muhammad Fayyaz, his son-in-law, was a noble man. He said he took the decision in the interest of her daughter. “Its better to stay with a 40-year-old than to starve of hunger,” he said. He said he could only earn enough to feed himself and his wife.

Neighbours said the man and his wife bribed a nikkah registrar, Muhammad Naseer, because he was initially not ready to contract the nikkah.

A police team raided the house of the man but left after he told them that his daughter was 18-year-old and got married without any pressure. Police said they could not do anything unless a complaint was lodged against the man.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2011.