Forced marriage of under-age girl thwarted

LAHORE: Raiwind Police thwarted forced marriage of a 12-year-old girl and arrested multiple individuals involved, including the girl's mother, the groom, witnesses, and Nikah registrar. 

According to a police spokesperson, the operation was initiated after receiving a report from M Sharif, the elder brother of the girl. Sharif informed the authorities that his mother was attempting to marry off his sister to an older man in exchange for money.

Acting promptly, the police arrived at the scene, rescuing the girl and placing her in the care of a shelter home, Darul Amaan. The arrested individuals included the groom, M Imtiaz, his mother, and witnesses Gulfam Murtaza and Sajad Ahmed. The cleric, Qari Sarwar, who was set to perform the marriage, was also taken into custody. SP Saddar, Dr Ghayur Ahmed, commended the police team for their quick action, stating, the exploitation of women and children will not be tolerated under any circumstances.’