Child rights: Underage marriage: Four sent to jail on judicial remand

The accused cleric, bridegroom and two witnesses were earlier remanded to police for two days.

A cleric, a bridegroom and two witnesses who allegedly solemnised the marriage of an underage girl were sent to jail on judicial remand on Sunday.

The accused had been rounded up by the local police from Abrar Colony under sections 366 and 506/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on September 21.

They were presented before the court of Judicial Magistrate Asif Khan, who remanded them for two days to the police for investigation.

On expiry of their physical remand, the police again produced them before the judicial magistrate, who then sent them to Haripur jail on judicial remand.

Sajjad Ahmed, a resident of Dakhan Sosal Naray village of Mansehra, lodged a complaint with the police that while he was in Karachi for treatment of his ailing father, his mother forcefully solemnised his nine-year-old sister Kosar’s marriage with a 29-year-old man, Muhammad Ismail.

He said the ceremony was held at the residence of his maternal uncle, Muhammad Nawaz, in Abrar Colony, along University Road and the final ceremony of rukhsati was scheduled to be held after a couple of weeks. He said that his younger brother, Muhammad Zahid, was also made to participate in the ceremony.

The police raided the house and recovered the girl and handed over to the complainant.

Whereas Ismail, the bridegroom; Khaib, the cleric who solemnised the marriage; and the two witnesses, Azam and the girl’s brother Zahid, were arrested.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2012.