Man Arrested for Marrying a 13-Year-Old Girl

Police and the Women and Child Protection Cell successfully stopped an attempt to marry off a 13-year-old girl in Hijrat Colony, Karachi. The groom and the girl’s uncle were arrested in connection with the case.

The girl, whose father has passed away, was living with her uncle at the time. Authorities registered a case at the Civil Lines Police Station under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act and related provisions concerning incitement to child marriage.

Officials emphasized the importance of enforcing laws that protect minors from forced and early marriages, highlighting ongoing efforts to prevent such violations in the region.

This incident adds to a series of recent interventions across Pakistan where authorities have acted to prevent child marriages. Recently, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill into law, setting the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years for both boys and girls in the federal capital.

This law criminalizes any marriage involving individuals under 18, with penalties including up to three years of rigorous imprisonment for adults marrying minors, and fines or imprisonment for Nikah registrars who solemnize such marriages.