Police personnel on Wednesday foiled two child marriage attempts in Shikarpur’s Qamaruddin Village based on a tip-off received from people in the neighbourhood, security officers conducted a raid in Shikarpur’s Qamaruddin Village.
One marriage was of an eight-year-old boy with 12-year-old girl Aleemah and the other of two-year-old Abdullah with four-month-old Dua was underway. A couple was arrested during child bride Aleemah’s departure. However, Nikkah khuwaan and participants managed to flee the scene. Police have lodged a case against the culprits and launched an investigation into the matter.
Currently, women and men can marry at 16 and 18 respectively legally in Pakistan, but any younger than this deprives the right to an education. Under existing laws, this act is punishable by only a month in prison and a fine of 1,000 rupees.
There is no steadfast figure on these child marriages in Pakistan as few cases are reported to the police and the government does not track the issue.
Three percent of girls in Pakistan are married before they turn 15 and 21 percent before the age of 18, according to UNICEF data.
The parents of child brides often take this approach in desperate circumstances and hopeful future, especially in areas where women are deprived of many rights.
