In the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an elderly man was married to a young girl of sixth grade. However, the process of departure was stopped due to the intervention of the police and human rights organizations. And the old man has been arrested.
According to police and local sources, the marriage took place in the absence of the girl, who was in school at the time.When the girl came to know that she had been married in his absence, she refused the marriage and the matter reached the police.
Police said that the incident took place in Brikot Naguha area of Swat, where a 70-year-old man has been married to a 13-year-old girl and now wants to leave, which is being investigated further
According to the police, a case of the incident has been registered on the complaint of the son of the elderly bride, who told the police that his father wanted to marry the 13-year-old girl with a sum of Rs 10 lakh.
“The 70-year-old man has married but has not yet left.”
Swat Police said that after receiving the complaint, the police swung into action and stopped the departure, while the girl was taken into custody and shifted to the hospital for medical treatment.
Sources have said that the girl’s family is adamant that the girl is too old and her parents are getting married, while the girl herself refuses to get married.
He said that the old bridegroom is already married and has 8 children, while his sons and daughters are also married and they also have children.
According to the marriage certificate issued by the marriage registrar, the signatures of the witnesses are also present on the marriage certificate and the dowry has been fixed at Rs 10 lakh, which was paid by the bride.
According to school records, the age of the girl is confirmed to be 13 years
On the other hand, according to school documents and NADRA records, the age of the girl has been confirmed to be 13 years.
SP Lower Swat Ghulam Sadiq said that according to the records, the age of the girl is only 13 years. While the elderly person who will be the bridegroom has been arrested and a case has been registered.
He said that provisions under Child Marriage and Child Protection Act have been filed in the FIR.
According to the SP, further investigation is going on after which the Nikah Khawan and the witnesses will also be arrested.
