Police rescue minor girl being forced to marry 72-year-old in Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Police in Pakistan arrested a 72-year-old man foiling his attempt to marry a 12-year-old girl in Charsadda town, ANI reported citing ARY News.

The girl's father, Alam Syed was to sell her to the groom identified as Habib Khan for PKR 500,000.

Police intervened, stopping the marriage alongside registering a case under the Child Marriage Act against the girl's father, the groom and 'Nikah Khwan' (a person who solemnizes the marriage).

Despite laws against child marriage, such incidents continued to occur in Pakistan.

Recently police intervened to stop similar incidents in Rajanpur and Thatta, rescuing young girls from being forced to marry older men.

In one incident, police intervened when an 11-year-old girl in Rajanpur, Punjab, was set to marry a 40-year-old man, the report said citing Ary News.

Also, in Thatta police saved a young girl who was forcibly married to a 50-year-old landlord.

In another incident, a 70-year-old man was arrested in Swat on May 6 for marrying a 13-year-old girl.

Following tip off, police took the groom and the girl’s father into custody alongside those who witnessed the marriage.

The minor girl was taken to a hospital for a medical examination.