A man has been arrested in Pakistan’s Balochistan province after allegedly attempting to arrange the marriage of his three-year-old daughter to a 60-year-old man in exchange for 2.5 million Pakistani rupees.
The father, identified as Abdul Baqi from the border city of Chaman, was reportedly involved in a marriage arrangement with a man identified as Salah Uddin. The agreed amount was equivalent to about £6,802, according to the BBC.
The arrangement reportedly involved walwar, a traditional practice in parts of the region where the groom’s family provides money to the bride’s family as part of a marriage agreement.
The case attracted public attention after reports of the proposed marriage circulated widely, prompting authorities to investigate.
Police discovered that although the walwar agreement had reportedly been documented, the agreed money had not actually been paid. According to The Media Line, the marriage would have proceeded after the payment was made, potentially making the three-year-old legally recognised as Salah Uddin’s wife.
Baqi has since been arrested, while police are searching for Uddin, who reportedly disappeared after the matter came under investigation.
The case has also drawn attention to the recent death of Baqi’s older daughter, Shukriya Bibi.
Shukriya was reportedly killed about two weeks earlier in Kuchlak, near Quetta. She was married to a man described as Salah Uddin’s son, making her his daughter-in-law.
Police have arrested Shukriya’s husband in connection with her death and are investigating whether a dispute between the two families may have played a role.
Child marriage is prohibited in Balochistan. Under legislation introduced in 2025, marriage involving anyone below the age of 18 and an adult is prohibited.
An adult man convicted of marrying a child can face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 Pakistani rupees, equivalent to about £540.
The investigation into the alleged marriage arrangement and Shukriya Bibi’s death remains ongoing.
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