Police stop marriage of 13-year-old bride in Faisalabad
By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 06 Jan 2023
The Faisalabad police stopped an underage wedding in Samundri tehsil on Sunday.
According to the police, a 13-year-old girl was being forcefully married off to a 19-year-old man by her mother and step-father. “On Sunday morning, her biological father called the police and informed them about the wedding,” the investigating officer said.
“When she turns 18 I will get her married myself but right now she’s a child,” the teenager’s father, Muhammad Naveed, said.
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Following this, the police, along with the complainant, arrived at the scene and stopped the ceremony. The groom and his family were sent back home. No arrests were made. An FIR was not registered as well.
A conflict between the 13-year-old’s step-father and Naveed took place at the site but the police intervened.
“Naveed divorced his wife eight years ago after which a court gave the child’s custody to her mother,” the investigation officer said.
According to recent reports, the 13-year-old was married in a secret ceremony Sunday night. The police are investigating the matter.
Under the Punjab Marriage Restraint Act, the minimum age to get married is 18 years for men and 16 years for women. Getting married at a younger age is a crime and people involved can be punished with imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of Rs50,000.
