72-Year-Old Man Held for Marrying 13-Year-Old in Charsadda

Imran Takkar 

Charsadda: The police arrested a 72-year-old man on Saturday for marrying a 13-year-old girl in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police sources said. 

Acting on a complaint about the mismatched marriage, the Charsadda police raided the girl’s father’s house and apprehended the groom and his driver. The girl’s father managed to escape, while the girl was relocated to Darul Aman.

According to police sources, the girl’s father, Alam Syed, allegedly married his daughter off to the elderly man for Rs 500,000. Upon receiving the information, the police swiftly intervened with the assistance of female officers.

They found the 13-year-old girl, identified as Salma*, in a wedding dress inside a car. The groom was promptly arrested and taken to the police station.

Further action included the arrest of the Imam who conducted the Nikah ceremony. The police registered a case against the groom under Section 310 of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as Articles 37 and 39 of the KP Child Protection and Welfare Act.

Under the law, anyone who coerces or compels a woman into marriage faces imprisonment for at least three years, in addition to a fine of Rs 500,000.