KARACHI: The problem of under-age marriage has once again come to the fore in Karachi after a cleric was brutally tortured for refusing to perform the Nikah of a 14-year-old girl near Gaghar Phatak.
Police have registered a case against five suspects at the Steel Town police station.
According to the First Information Report, the complainant, Saud Ahmed Shar, stated that he was assaulted after he declined to solemnize the marriage of a minor girl.
Speaking to authorities, Shar said he was approached to perform the Nikah and, as part of due diligence, inquired about the girl’s age. He was informed that she was 14, while the prospective groom was approximately 40 years old.
“The prescribed legal age for marriage is 18 years. Performing the Nikah of a minor is against the law, so I refused,” Shar told police.
Following his refusal, the cleric was allegedly beaten by the accused. Steel Town police have since registered a case against five individuals named by the victim and initiated an investigation.
The incident highlights the persistent challenge of child marriage in Pakistan, where despite legal protections, attempts to marry off underage girls continue. The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act sets the minimum age for marriage at 18, and violations are punishable by law.
Civil society activists say clerics who uphold the law often face intimidation, underscoring the need for stronger enforcement and protection for those who resist unlawful practices.
Police officials said raids are being conducted to apprehend the accused, adding that no one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands or violate child protection laws.
