1. Police arrest girl married 13-year-old boy Sheikhupura
2. Police apprehend 5-year-old girl married 13-year-old boy Sheikhupura.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
- Marriage of individuals under the age of 16 is prohibited in Punjab.
- A case has been filed by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in relation to the incident.
- Instances of child marriages are alarmingly common in the province.
SHEIKHUPURA: Authorities apprehended a suspect on Monday following a distressing incident where a five-year-old girl was married off to a 13-year-old boy in the Kot Nazir area of Sheikhupura.
The police reported that the suspect was apprehended during a raid, with additional operations underway to apprehend other individuals involved in the illegal child marriage.
Notably, the legal age for marriage in Punjab is 16 years, making such unions unlawful. Despite this, cases of child marriages continue to occur in the region.
A police spokesperson stated that a formal complaint had been lodged by an assistant sub-inspector from the Sadar Muredke police station under the provisions of the Child Marriage Act.
The initial report highlighted that the children were coerced into the marriage, and the suspects absconded upon sighting the approaching law enforcement officers.
According to the report, the grandfather of the child, identified as Yousaf, confessed that he, along with his son Muzammil Abbas, had forced the marriage upon the minor.
The complaint identified Imran, the father of the underage girl, her grandfather Amjad, Bashir, Akram Suleman also known as Chana, and a suspect named Arshad as present during the ceremony. The marriage arrangements were overseen by a suspect named Umar Hayat.
“The accused parties violated ‘The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act 2015’ by forcibly marrying the underage children,” the complaint stated.
In 2015, Punjab established the legal marriage age at 16 years, and subsequently enhanced penalties for contravening the law by amending the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 1971 and enacting the Punjab Marriage Restraint Act 2015.
Proposed Legislation Deems Marriage under 18 an Offence
Concurrently, the Punjab government has drafted the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2024 to prevent unions involving individuals under the age of 18, as reported by The News on April 25.
According to the disclosed documents, anyone found marrying or arranging the marriage of a minor under the age of 18 will face rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to three years, alongside a fine ranging from one to two lakh rupees. Similarly, individuals registering such marriages will face imprisonment for two to three years and a fine ranging from one to two lakh rupees.
Parents or guardians facilitating, supporting, or permitting the marriage of minors will be subject to imprisonment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, in addition to a fine ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs200,000.
