Police in Larkana stop forced child marriage of two teenagers

LARKANA: Police in Larkana successfully prevented the forced marriage of two underage teenagers during a raid in Khero Dero village on Friday.

The operation was carried out by the Women and Child Protection Cell (WCPC), along with officials from the Women Police Station and Lashari Police Station. Authorities intervened after receiving information that a 13-year-old girl was being compelled to marry her 16-year-old cousin.

The alert was raised by social activist Naween Mangi, who heads the Ali Hasan Mangi Memorial Trust in Upper Sindh. After local efforts to stop the marriage proved unsuccessful, she contacted district police for assistance.

According to officials, the prospective groom and his family fled the scene when law enforcement arrived. The girl and her parents were then taken to the Women Police Station in Larkana to ensure her safety.

Police counselled the parents regarding the legal minimum age for marriage and obtained a written undertaking from them pledging not to marry their daughter before she reaches 18 years of age.

The girl chose to remain with her family and was returned to her parents. Officials stated that if she had declined to stay with them, the matter would have been presented before a court and she would have been placed in a shelter home.

Mangi praised the police response and said her organisation is closely monitoring the situation to safeguard the girl’s rights. She noted that while the parents have provided assurances, the risk of another attempt at child marriage cannot be ruled out due to deeply rooted social traditions.

According to Mangi, the groom’s family has publicly claimed that the teenagers are already married and that the girl is missing. However, the girl’s parents have issued a video statement confirming that she is at home and safe.

The activist expressed confidence that continued monitoring and community engagement will help protect the girl from future attempts at underage marriage.

According to UNICEF, Pakistan is home to more than 19 million child brides, with nearly one in six young women married before the age of 18 and approximately 4.8 million girls married before turning 15.