SWAT: In a concerning incident in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a 70-year-old man was apprehended by police for marrying a 13-year-old girl.
The marriage, orchestrated by the girl’s father, prompted swift action from authorities upon receiving the information.
Both the elderly groom and the father of the minor girl were taken into custody, along with the officiant and witnesses of the marriage. Meanwhile, the young girl was taken to the hospital for a medical examination.
The incident underscores the persistent challenge of child marriage in Pakistan, a practice that contravenes constitutional protections for fundamental rights, particularly those of women and children.
Although the Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 sets the minimum age for marriage at 16 for girls and 18 for boys in Pakistan, efforts to raise the minimum age to 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have faced obstacles, with concerns over potential resistance from conservative groups impeding legislative progress.
