Jirga members held for declaring two minor girls vani

MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police have arrested 10 people including jirga members and a brother of two minor girls declared as vani in Palas area of newly notified Kolai-Palas (Kohistan).

The jirga had declared to hand over the two minor girls to the rival party to settle an enmity.

“We acted with Kohistan Police to thwart the attempt by the jirga that declared the two minor girls as vani to settle a blood feud,” Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari, District Police Officer, told reporters here on Saturday.

He said the raid was carried out on a tip-off communicated to him by director Human Rights Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“We were informed that the jirga would be held in Mansehra, however, it had taken place in Palas area of Kohistan. We arrested 10 people,” said Nadeem Bukhari.

The DPO said that a team including the station house officers of Shinkiari and Palas police stations led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Raja Mahboob made the arrests.

Nadeem Bukhari said that one Gul Numar had killed one Khan Wali in 2010.

“The jirga was about to take place to give the two daughters of Gul Numar aged 12 to 13 in marriage to Sartaj and Ayub as vani to settle the enmity,” he said.

The arrested persons were identified as Sartaj and Mohammad Ghayas, Siri Khan and Abdullah, sons of Khan Wali, and their cousin Mohammad Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz stated to be brother of girls declared as vani and jirga members Mil Khan, Amil Khan and Abdul Manan and Sher Wali.

He said the case under section 310-A of Pakistan Penal Code was registered against the suspects in Palas Police Station.