Jirga asks Ghotki man to pay huge fine or ‘surrender’ daughter

A man belonging from Ghotki has been asked to pay a huge fine or else surrender his three-year-old daughter for a matter which needs to be settled with the Jirga.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar took notice of the incident and ordered the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Ghotki to submit a comprehensive report about the matter.

According to the details provided, a tribal court or Jirga, convened by some influential people of the Mazari tribe, asked Ali Hassan to pay an amount equal to Rs300,00 or else he would have to marry off his three-year-old daughter.

Instead of succumbing to their pressure, Hassan, son of Shah Mohammad Mazari sent an application to the Supreme Court through the Human Rights Cell. The grieved father pleaded that he was not in a position to pay the fine and he feared for his own and his daughter’s safety. He appealed the court to provide protection to his family from the members of the Jirga.

This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place, as in most of such Jirga meetings, decisions revolve around raping or handing over the accused’s daughters or sisters. In the past, the judiciary has been taking serious notice of the holding of jirgas and their decrees based on tribal customs like vani, swara etc.

Pakistan is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits child marriages, but this commitment is seldom honored. More steps need to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=54375

Posted by fatimaarshad on Jan 13 2017. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.