In Charsadda town, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, law enforcement authorities successfully intervened to prevent the marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a 72-year-old man, subsequently arresting the elderly groom, identified as Habib Khan.
The incident unfolded when the girl’s father, Alam Syed, consented to the transaction, agreeing to sell his daughter to Habib Khan for a sum of PKR 500,000, according to statements provided by the police.
The police intervened right before the Nikah ceremony was about to happen. They apprehended both Habib Khan and the officiant, commonly referred to as the ‘Nikah Khwan,’ who officiated the marriage. However, the girl’s father evaded capture, and the event was covered by ARY news.
Alam Syed, Habib Khan, and Nikah Khwan are facing legal action under the Child Marriage Act. Despite the legal prohibition of child marriage in Pakistan, these incidents continue to happen.
In recent times, law enforcement agencies across various regions have been actively involved in thwarting similar attempts. For instance, in Rajanpur, Punjab, a heart-wrenching incident was averted when an 11-year-old girl was on the verge of being married off to a 40-year-old man, only to be rescued by the timely intervention of the police.
Likewise, in Thatta, another alarming case was intercepted where a young girl was at risk of being wedded to a 50-year-old landlord, but swift action by the police prevented this from happening.
On May 6, authorities in Swat apprehended a 70-year-old man who had wed a 13-year-old girl. The girl’s father, the officiant of the marriage, and the witnesses were also detained. Subsequently, the girl underwent a medical evaluation at a hospital.