Police book 13 Jirga members for declaring seven-year-old girl ‘Vani’

MANSEHRA: The police have booked 13 members of a jirga, including a cleric, for wedding a seven-year-old girl to a man to settle a feud in Shinkiari.

The dispute had started after an uncle of the girl had captured the picture of the man’s aunt in Beri Bagh area of the Siran valley, last year.

“We have arrested four jirga members. Raids are underway to nab nine others, including a cleric, who had solemnised the wedlock of “Vani” girl with a man from the rival party,” Amir Khan, Station House Officer of the Shinkiari Police Station, told reporters by telephone from the area on Thursday.

The official said the police acted on their own after receiving the information through locals. He said the jirga members, including Taj Mohammad, Mohammad Javed, Malik Aman and Shahjehan were arrested. The cop said the jirga members had also received Rs0.2 million from the family of the girl who was subjected to “Vani” customary practice.

“We have seized the wedlock papers and the register where the entry by a local registrar had been made,” he said. Mohammad Nazeer told reporters that his brother, Mohammad Asif, had mistakenly captured the picture of a local woman through his cell -phone camera, which sparked the tension between his and woman’ family.

He said a jirga was convened which declared his daughter, Sidra, 7, as “Vani” and received Rs0.2 million as fine declaring his family as ‘Bad’ under the local customs practised in far-off areas of the Siren valleys since centuries.

“The jirga not only solemnised wedlock of my minor daughter with Mohammad Rizwan, the nephew of the woman whose picture had been taken, but also imposed a fine of R0.2 million, which my father paid in my absence,” said Nazeer.

He said the jirga members and rival family were highly influential and that was why they couldn’t approach the police for justice.

“We had no other option but to go to the media after Mohammad Babu, who led the jirga, threatened us with killing my another daughter and kidnapping my two sisters-in-law if I didn’t hand over my daughter as “Vani” and pay an extra amount of Rs0.2 million (total Rs0.4 million) to the rival family,” alleged Nazeer.