FIR against parents marrying off underage girls

By Qurban Ali Khushik

DADU: The state would lodge FIR against parents and guardians for arranging marriages of underage girls in the district.

This was disclosed by one of the speakers in a seminar on `early marriages of girls` organised by the Women Empowerment and Development Organisation in collaboration with the Strengthening Participatory Organization here on Monday.

Civil society organisations and lawyers demanded of the government to stop early marriages of girls and violence against women.

Social activist Zarina Gadehi said that it was a common practice to arrange marriages of young girls with aged persons in Khairpur Nathan Shah area with the backing of feudal. Politicians, he said, were giving not importance to this illegal practice.

A project in collaboration with the European Union has been initiated in 10 districts of Pakistan titled violence against women and ratio of such marriages in Dadu was exceptionally high, said regional head of the SPO, Mustafa Baloch.

DPO Javed Soonharo Jiskani warned parents and guardians against arranging marriages of their underage daughters with aged persons. He said the state would lodge FIR against violators.

A human rights cell has been established at the DPO where women would be provided all required facilities. He cited an example of Wahi Pandhi where police stopped the marriage of an underage girl with an old man.

He said posters in Sindhi language would be distributed for creating awareness among people against early marriages of girls.

Source: Dawn

Date:6/14/2011