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July 8, 2006
Pakistan: Muslim Girl Forced To Marry 65-Year Old Man
We have frequently discussed vani marriage, which was made illegal in Pakistan at the start of last year, along with honour killings. Vani involves a forced marriage, often involving a minor girl, where a Muslim village court gives away the girl in compensation for a wrongdoing committed by another member of her family. In Punjab province, such a court is called a panchayat, whereas in Sindh in the southeast and in North-west Frontier Province in the northwest, it is called a jirga.
Today the Pakistan Daily Times reports that a panchayat in Jatoi, near Multan in Punjab province has ordered that a 16 year old girl be given away in marriage to a 65-year old man. The panchayat was held because the girl's brother had allegedly raped an eight year old child. The victim of child rape was the daughter of the 65-year old man.
Three members of the panchayat who issued the ruling have been arrested by Jatoi police.
The maximum penalty for vani crime is ten years' jail, but though there have been many cases recorded since vani became illegal, there has not been a single person convicted of this crime.
However, at a highly publicised recent case hearing of vani, where five girls aged one year to five years were given away, there appeared to be signs of it being treated seriously. This case reached the Supreme Court, and its outcome has not yet been announced. The "marriages" were officially annulled by Sindh province Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim. The chief justice at the supreme court said at the hearing that "vani" appeared to be spreading across the whole country.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 8, 2006 6:41 AM
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