Clerk among 3 held for giving minor girl as vani

MANSEHRA: The police have arrested three members of a jirga, including a cleric and a councillor, who decreed that a minor girl be given as vani to settle a dispute over her brother’s marriage of choice in Balakot.

“We have arrested three jirga members, who decreed a minor girl as Vani and handed her over to a man, whose sister had married of her own free will with her brother this month,” Faisal Khalil, the station house officer of Balakot Police Station told reporters on Monday.

He said that a team was constituted on the orders of District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur, which conducted raids in various locations in the Bambora area and arrested cleric Qari Mian Haroon, Councillor Mohammad Miskeen and Waliur Rehman.

“Raids are also being carried out to arrest all those who participated in the jirga and decreed the minor girl as Vani, and arranged her wedlock to Mohammad Asif, whose sister had eloped with the former’s brother,” he added. Giving details of the case, the SHO said that a local girl had married Mohammad Banaras after running away from her home earlier this month.

“The jirga, convened for reconciliation, decreed that Banaras’s 14-year-old sister be given in marriage to his wife’s brother, Mohammad Asif,” Khalil said.The SHO said that the jirga had warned both parties against involving the police, threatening punitive action under local traditions and customs if they did so.

“Private jirgas are banned in the district, and anyone found violating the law will be brought to justice under the relevant sections,” the official said.Under the infamous Vani customs, women are handed over to the rival party as vani to settle the dispute.