JUI-F lawmaker accused of marrying minor girl

Chitral police have started an investigation after reports of a marriage between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Salahuddin Ayyubi, who is a National Assembly lawmaker hailing from Balochistan, and a 14-year-old girl from Chitral, reported Jang.

On Feb 18, a local organisation, Anjuman Dawat-o-Azeemat, requested police to conduct an inquiry into whether the girl had attained the marriageable age of 18, and if not, take action against all those responsible under the Prevention of Child Marriage Act, reported Dawn.

Chitral police station SHO Inspector Sajjad Ahmed said that the family of the girl is not in town yet, but the police will start an investigation into these reports once they come back to Chitral.

According to reports, the girl is a student of a government school in Jughoor and her date of birth is recorded as Oct 28, 2006. And if the record is accurate, then the girl is considered a minor in Pakistan and such marriages are criminalised.

According to police, the father of the girl denied the reports of the marriage and even signed an affidavit to this effect.