Attempt to marry off 13-year-old foiled in Karachi’s Hijrat Colony

An attempt to solemnise the marriage of a 13-year-old girl in Hijrat Colony was foiled on Saturday after a joint operation by local police and the Women and Child Protection Cell.

According to a police spokesperson, the raid was conducted after the Women and Child Protection Cell received information regarding the planned “child marriage.” The cell immediately alerted District South SSP Mehtor Ali, who ordered the Civil Lines police to take action.

A police team rushed to the address and found that preparations were underway for the underage girl’s wedding. Officials intervened just in time, stopping the ceremony before it could take place.

Police asked the family to produce official documentation to verify the girl’s age, which confirmed that she was only 13-year old. Acting on the minor’s statement and other available evidence, police arrested the girl’s parents and several others allegedly involved in organising the marriage.

A case has been registered at the Civil Lines police station under Sections 3 and 5 of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, and Section 511 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which pertains to attempts to commit an offence.

“Strict legal action will be taken against anyone involved in such illegal cultural practices, regardless of their status or influence,” SSP Mehtor Ali told the media.