Larkana police intervened to prevent a 13-year-old girl from being forced into marriage, shedding light on the persistent issue of child marriage in the region.
Larkana district police chief, SSP Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi, took decisive action upon receiving a report regarding the marriage of Aliya, the 13-year-old daughter of Khalid Hussain.
Authorized by SSP Shirazi, a team comprising DSP Headquarters Sarfraz Ahmed, SHO Abdul Malik Bhutto, and SHO Women Police Station, raided Khalid Hussain’s residence to halt the unlawful ceremony, which violated the Sindh Child Marriage Act.
Police checked the B-Form of Aliya Khalid Hussain confirming her official age. The parents of the teenage girl told the police that they were giving away their child in marriage due to poor financial conditions. On this, the SSP Larkana gave financial support of Rs50,000 to the girl’s parents.
The Sindh Child Marriage Act enacted in 2013 prohibits the marriage of any child under the age of eighteen years and provides penalties for a male contracting party, the person who solemnizes the marriage as well as the parent or guardian concerned.
Despite the legal framework in place, the implementation of laws against child marriage remains a significant challenge in Sindh. Child rights expert Sarah Zaman emphasized the existence of operational gaps and challenges in enforcing the law. However, she reaffirmed the legitimacy and importance of the act in combating the practice of child marriage.
Zaman highlighted that while poverty is often cited as a reason for child marriages, other socio-political issues contribute to the prevalence of this harmful practice. Moreover, amidst challenges such as the recent flood disaster, Pakistan faces additional social issues, including trafficking, rape, and child marriages.
In March 2023, the Federal Shariat Court in Islamabad upheld the validity of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, dismissing a petition claiming it was un-Islamic. The act, which sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both girls and boys in the province, was deemed consistent with Islamic principles by the court.
