Amjad Ahsan's letter raises a pertinent question as to why our society tolerates such barbaric and medieval practices.
ISLAMABAD: Amjad Ahsan's letter of December 1 regarding marriage of a six-year-old girl raises a pertinent question as to why our society tolerates such barbaric and medieval practices.
The fact is that the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, is not being effectively enforced, despite the concerns frequently expressed by the media and NGOs, functioning for the protection of child rights.
Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the above cited law provides: (1) Punishment for a male adult above 18 years of age marrying a female child under 16 years of age (2) punishment for solemnising such a child marriage and (3) punishment for negligently failing to prevent the child marriage from being solemnised.
By and large, our society has not tolerated any such barbaric or medieval practice. It is only the failure of the competent authorities who do not take cognisance of the said offences.
Jameel Bhutto
Former federal secretary
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2010.
