18 Jirga members booked for giving girl in Vani

MANSEHRA: The police have booked 18 members of a jirga for declaring a minor girl as Vani and solemnising her nikah with a man to settle a marriage dispute in Batian area in the Oghi tehsil in the Mansehra district.

“We have arrested five members of the jirga, including a cleric. Raids are being carried out to arrest the 13 persons who declared a six-year girl as Vani and solemnised her nikah,” Zulfiqar Jadoon, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told reporters on Sunday.

He said that the nikah of a minor girl was solemnised with Kamran at a jirga in Batian area of Shungli Bandi Union Council in Oghi. He said one Maulvi Abdul Aziz solemnised the nikkah.  “We raided the jirga and arrested five persons,” said Jadoon.

The DSP said that one Tajun Nisa had been given in nikah of Shah Nawaz, but the marriage ceremony was yet to take place. He said that the girl in question eloped with one Mohammad Saeed, which led to an enmity between the two families.

“A jirga was held to settle this dispute. It decided to give the minor girl, the cousin of Mohammad Saeed, in marriage to the family of Tajun Nisa as Vani and solemnised her nikah with Kamran, the brother of Shah Nawaz,” said Jadoon.

He said that five members of jirga, Maulvi Abdul Aziz, Amber Khan, a councillor Haider Khan, Anzar Khan and Khalawat Khan were arrested. Jadoon said that a case had been registered against Shah Nawaz and his brother Kamran.