SAHIWAL: Ghaziabad police foiled the marriage of a 10-year-old girl with a 30-year-old man at Chak 160/9-L and arrested the bridegroom and the girl’s father.

Police rescued the minor girl and registered a case against 15 persons both from the girl and bridegroom’s families.

Liaqat Ali, a resident of Chak 160/9-L, had fixed the marriage of his eldest daughter, Sania, with Muhammad Asif, a local lawyer. The girl was not happy with the marriage and she escaped from home along with a boy 20 days before the marriage. The lawyer and his family forced Liaqat through a panchayat to marry his youngest child, 10-year-old daughter Iqra, in place of Sania with Asif.

On Friday, the suspect, Asif, brought a marriage procession and his nikah was arranged with the minor girl.

Ghaziabad SHO Umer Daraz got a tip-off of the minor girl’s marriage, police raided the spot and stopped the marriage ceremony.

Police arrested Liaqat, Asif, Ahmed Yar and bridegroom’s friend Sanwal.

The nikah khawan as well as the girl’s mother, Asia Bibi, succeeded in escaping from the scene.

Police registered a case against Asia, Nazir Ahmed, Sughran Bibi, Sabir Hussain, Sajid Hussain, Muhammad Shakeel, Gulam Mustafa, Jamil, Yasin, Muhammad Jiwa, Naseem Akhter, and other unidentified members of the panchayat.

OMBUDSPERSON: The provincial ombudsperson has the authority to implement its decisions and the departments concerned, including police, revenue and administration, are bound to implement its orders.

This was stated by Punjab Ombudsperson Nabeela Khan while hearing complaints by women filed under the Punjab Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2021.

Ms Khan said the 2021 law empowered women to get their deprived property rights.

Dawn learnt from the sources there were 80 registered complaints related to women’s property in three cities of the Sahiwal division. Nabeela Khan directed deputy commissioners and revenue departments of the three districts of the division to submit their reports on more than 30 cases pending with their offices.

Sahiwal Deputy Commissioner Kamran Khan assured the ombudsperson that the process of giving required information to her office would be expedited.

Nabeela Khan held a special hearing to dispose of cases and asked the departments concerned to process information at the earliest. She announced that Sahiwal would get its own regional ombudsman office within three months.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2022