Man accused of ‘selling’ daughters granted bail

A man who is accused of selling his two daughters for money was granted bail by a court on Saturday.

The Kalu Khan police had on August 14, filed a case against Hidayatullah of the Shiwa village in Swabi, charging him with selling his two minor daughters in marriage for Rs350,000.

The police had also booked his accomplices and the marriage agent Mumtaz, originally a resident of Dagai but currently living in the Sikandari village of Swabi.

In the first information report of the incident registered by the police, Kalu Khan police station SHO Munsif Khan stated that he had learnt that a local man, Hidayatullah, had allegedly sold his two daughters 11-year-old Isma, and 10-year-old Husna, for Rs350,000.

The middleman Mumtaz was paid Rs50,000 as advance and the two girls were to be transferred to buyers in Punjab.

Acting on the information, Munsif said that they immediately raided Hidayatullah’s house and recovered the two children. However, Hidayatullah and Mumtaz managed to escape. Police later handed the girls over to local elders and registered an FIR.

Later Hidyatullah was also arrested and produced before a local court. Hidayatullah, though filed for bail before the Peshawar High Court.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the high court on Saturday approved Hidaytullah’s bail and ordered his release subject to paying bail bonds and surety.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2020.