Child marriage restriction being flouted in Dir
Haleem Asad
TIMERGARA: Though banned, child marriages are on the rise in Lower Dir and therefore, the society and the government should act together for containing them, said Fakharuddin Khan, coordinator of the Child Rights` Committee (CRC) in the district, on Tuesday.
Mr Fakharuddin told reporters at the Timergara press club that everyone under 18 was a child in line with the law and that an act enforced in India in 1929 had banned child marriages.
He said the act fixed the marriageable age of a man at 18 and that of a woman at 16, calling for end to discrimination against women on the count.
The coordinator CRC said a 13 years old married girl in Ouch area of Lower Dir died during her first delivery of late.
He said child marriages were common in rural areas and among less educatedsegments of society. He said people should focus on their children`s education and health before wedding them off.
Mr Fakharuddin demanded strict enforcement of ban on child marriages.
He said CRC with the help of Society for Protection and Rights of the Children had been creating public awareness of child marriages since June 2011.
ZOONOTIC DISEASES: The zoonotic diseases control committee (ZDCC) will shortly visit from village to village in five selected union councils of Lower Dir district to know incidence of diseases passing from animals to human beings and vice versa.
This was stated by coordinator of the said committee Dr Abdullah on Tuesday during a function at the Farm Services Centre in Timergara on zoonotic diseases.
The function was attended by livestock and health offi-cials and social activists.
Executive district officer (health) Lower Dir Shaukat Ali, district coordinator ZDCC Abdullah and others addressed the function.
Dr Abdullah said many diseases were transferable from animals to human beings and they included tuberculosis, tetanus, rabbis, leshmaniasis, brucellosis and toxoplasmosis.
He said 25-member ZDCC would send its recommendations to the Relief International, which was to provide it with financial and technical support, after completing surveys in Balamabat, Munda, Koto, Munjai and Hayaserai districts.
Dr Abdullah said the committee would detect cases relating to zoonosis before sending its report to the committee.
He said ZDCC would meet once after two months and its meeting would be held at the Farm Services Centre.
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