bdmetronews desk ॥ On Friday, Pakistani police rescued and prevented a nine year-old girl from marrying a 14 year-old boy in the Rahim Yar Khan district of Pakistan’s Punjab province (Reuters).
Two local families hoping to settle a dispute arranged the marriage. Speaking to Reuters, deputy superintendent of police Mamoonur Rasheed said, “The girl’s brother’s wife died due to some health problems a few weeks ago, and (the wife’s) relatives suspected foul play and accused her family of murder.”
The practice of arranging marriages to settle disputes or other issues between families is not uncommon in Pakistan. In January, the Council on Islamic Ideology – a powerful religious body that advises the Pakistani government on the compatibility of laws with Islam – shot down a bill that would have imposed stricter regulations on child marriages. Per UNICEF, three percent of girls are married before turning 15, and 21 percent before turning 18. Parents of child brides can be put in jail for one month and face a $10 fine.
