The Supreme Court Thursday took suo motu notice of a minor girl declared ‘vani’ by a jirga in Ghotki city of Sindh. The jirga had ordered marriage of a three-year-old girl under the custom of Vani.
Reports said the jirga was held by decision-making assembly of Mazari tribe’s male elders in a border town of Sindh and Balochistan.
Taking notice of the illegal act, the Chief Justice has directed SSP Ghotki to file a report in this regard within 48 hours. The suo motu notice was taken on the complaint of Ali Hassan Mazari, a resident of Ghotki.
Hassan Mazari informed the Chief Justice that “few influential people of Mazari tribe held a Jirga and decided that in default of fine of Rs.3,00,000/- imposed upon the applicant, his 3 years old daughter is to be given in (promise of) marriage”. He prayed for the protection of his daughter and legal action against the Jirga.
Vani is a cultural custom found in parts of Pakistan, especially in Sindh and Balochistan, wherein young girls are forcibly married as part of punishment for a crime committed by her male relatives.
