TANDLIANWALA: A seven-year-old child was bartered into marriage to a man 21 years her senior here on Sunday.
According to the details, the child, Pathani, was given off to 28-year-old Fareed in a ‘watta-satta’ marriage in exchange for his sister for her brother Raheel.
Police officials told the media that the case of the two girls being traded came to their attention when Pathani fled the house after been beaten and tortured by her husband Fareed and they took her into custody.
A case was registered in Sadar police station over the complaint of the assistance sub-inspector (ASI) and the bridegroom Fareed, his father Ashraf, father-in-law Tharaj and marriage officiator Abdul Jabbar were arrested after medico-legal test proved that the underage girl had been abused.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Senate had passed a bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 on April 30.
According to the amendment, marriage under 18 years can lead to a fine of Rs200,000 and three years of strict punishment for facilitators.
