Whisked away: Teenage girl kidnapped from Balakot

MANSEHRA:

Five people allegedly kidnapped a teenage girl from a remote village of Balakot two weeks ahead of her marriage, police said on Monday.

According to the police, Muhammad Ashraf of Bhonja Goran village reported his daughter Salma*, 17, went missing on Sunday evening. Asraf said her nikah was solemnised with Arshad about a month ago and the reception was to be held in the first week of March. The father added Rs50,000 and three tolas of gold jewellery were also missing from the house.

He has accused Sajjad, Taj Muhammad, Sher Afzal, Shamim Bibi and Ehjaz Ahmed of kidnapping his daughter. Ashraf said Taj Muhammad had asked for Salma’s hand in marriage for his son Ehjaz Ahmed a few months ago, but Ashraf had turned him down. (*Name changed to protect identity)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2015.