70-year-old man arrested for marrying minor girl in Swat

SWAT: Police on Monday arrested a 70-year-old man for marrying a 13-year-old girl in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

As per details, a 13-year-old girl was married to a 70-year-old man in Swat by her father. Getting the information, the police swung into action and took the groom and father of the minor girl into custody.

The nikahkhuwan and the witnesses of the marriage were also taken into custody. Meanwhile, the minor girl was sent to the hospital for her medical.

The practice of child marriage violates the fundamental rights enshrined in Constitution of Pakistan, which mandates the state to safeguard all citizens, particularly women and children.

Under Pakistan’s current law, the outdated Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, sets the minimum age for marriage at 16 for girls and 18 for boys.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) lawmakers have repeatedly attempted to raise the minimum marriage age to 18, but their efforts have been stalled due to fear of resistance from conservative groups.