Another child marriage case reported in Punjab

SHEIKHUPURA – Police on Monday arrested at least one suspect in connection with a child marriage case where a five-year-old girl was wedded to a 13-year-old male in Sheikhupura’s Kot Nazir neighborhood.

Authorities claimed that the suspect was caught during a raid, and more operations are underway to apprehend the other individuals involved in the illicit marriage.

It is worth noting that in Punjab, marrying before the age of 16 is banned. Despite this, child marriage remains common in the province.

According to a police spokeswoman, an assistant sub-inspector at Saddar Muridke police station filed a case under the Child Marriage Act.

The initial information report (FIR) indicated that the children were being forcibly wedded and that the suspects fled as soon as they spotted the police approaching.

According to the FIR, the child’s grandfather, identified as Yousaf, stated that he and his son Muzammil Abbas were pressing the marriage of his grandchild.

The FIR further said that the girl’s father, Imran, her grandfather, Amjad, along with Bashir and Akram Suleman alias Chana, were present during the wedding. A suspect named Arshad was responsible for the arrangements, and the nikah was solemnized by a suspect described as Umar Hayat.

“The suspects violated ‘The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act 2015’ by forcibly marrying the underage children,” the FIR added.

Punjab kept the legal marriage age of 16 in 2015, but enhanced the penalty for breaching the rule by amending the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 1971 and passing the Punjab Marriage Restraint Act 2015.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has drafted the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2024, which will raise the legal marriage age to 18.