Brothe­rs organi­se weddin­g of their 21-year-old sister Mehwis­h with 10-year-old cousin Allah DittaIn an incident reminiscent of the dark ages, a 21-year-old girl in Punjab was forced to marry her 10-year-old cousin for keeping the hereditary property within the family. According to Express News, brothers of the girl, identified as Mehwish, organised the wedding in Bhngsika village in the outskirts of the town of Pindi Bhattian. Locals expressed their dismay over the incident, saying forcing an adult girl to tie the knot with a juvenile boy, Allah Ditta, was a violation of law. This is not an isolated incident, as numerous child marriages go unreported in various parts of the country under the nose of the authorities concerned. Child marriage, that is marriage below the age of 18 years, is a cognisable offense under the Punjab Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act 2015.

Source: The Express Tribune December 21, 2017 12:34 UTC