On Monday, police arrested at least one suspect in connection with a child marriage case where a five-year-old girl was married to a 13-year-old boy in the Kot Nazir area of Sheikhupura.
The police reported that the suspect was apprehended during a raid, with further raids underway to capture other individuals involved in the incident.
It is important to note that in Punjab, marriage is illegal before the age of 16, despite the prevalence of child marriages in the province.
A police spokesperson stated that a case had been filed by an assistant sub-inspector from the Sadar Muredke police station under the Child Marriage Act.
The first information report (FIR) indicated that the children were being married forcibly and that the suspects fled upon the arrival of the police.
According to the FIR, the child’s grandfather, Yousaf, admitted that he and his son, Muzammil Abbas, were forcing the marriage of his grandchild.
It said father of the underage girl Imran, her grandfather Amjad, Bashir and Akram Suleman alias Chana were also present in the marriage, while a suspect named Arshad made all the arrangements. The nikah was solemnised by a suspect identified as Umar Hayat.
“The said suspects committed crime under ‘The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act 2015’ by forcibly marrying the underage children,” the FIR said.
In 2015, Punjab kept the legal age of marriage at 16 years but increased the imprisonment and fines for the law’s violation as the province amended the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 1971 and passed the Punjab Marriage Restraint Act 2015.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has prepared a draft of Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2024 to prevent marriages under the age of 18.
A person who marries a girl or a boy under age of 18 years or arranges such a marriage shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a minimum of two years and maximum of three years with a fine of minimum rupees one lakh and a maximum two lakh. Anyone who registers the marriage of minor children shall also be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than two years and not more than three years, and a fine not less than rupees one lakh and not more than rupees two lakh.
Parents or guardians who facilitate, support or permit marriage of minor children shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, while a fine not less than Rs100,000 or not more than Rs200,000 will be imposed.
