Vani case: Nazim, girls’ father among four arrested | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Vani case: Nazim, girls’ father among four arrested

MANSEHRA: The Shinkiary police on Thursday arrested four people, including a union council nazim and the father of girls given in marriage under the vani custom.

Sources said police arrested Jabber Union Council Nazim Sardar Syed Ghulam, husband of a victim girl, Mohammad Shaukat, father of the girls, Shah Zaman, and jirga member Mohammad Taj during raids on their houses.

Police said raids were also being conducted to arrest the cleric who had solemnised the nikah of a victim girl and other members of the jirga that had issued the decree.

DPO Akhtar Hayat Khan told Dawn the marriage of only one girl had been solemnised under the vani custom, and her two minor sisters aged between six and eight years were still living with their parents.

Meanwhile, under directives of the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court, additional district and sessions judge Sardar Mohammad Arshad summoned Shinkiary police station SHO Zulfiqar Jadoon and Dilshad Bibi, one of the victim girls.

Sources said the SHO informed the judge that police had arrested four accused in the case. Dilshad Bibi also recorded her statement before the court.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/21/2009