Sindh police detain two landowners for forcing a peasant to give his one- and two-year-old daughters in marriage to pay off a debt worth 330 euros (410 US dollars).

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Police in the Pakistani province of Sindh have arrested two landowners for forcing a peasant to give his two infant—one- and two-year-old—daughters in marriage as repayment for a loan, a police official said.

Police arrested Ali Nawaz Rind and Mohammad Ramazan Rind on Monday after they held a jirga (council of village elders) that ordered one-year old Moora and two-year old Marvi, the daughters of Bhongar Khoso, be given in marriage to the infant sons of Nawaz.

"We have made pre-emptive arrests after we learnt that this jirga was held in Sanghar," said senior police official Ajmal Magsi.

Police said Khoso had taken a loan of Rs 25,000 (about € 330 or US$ 410) from Nawaz Rind. When he could not repay it, a village council was convened to decide the matter, and invoked the custom of sang-chati, whereby girls are used as bartering chips to settle disputes. Although the practice has been made illegal, it is still prevalent in rural areas where feudal and tribal ways hold sway.

Last week, police filed a case against 13 people, including an opposition Member of Parliament, for holding a village council that ordered five minor girls to be given in marriage as compensation for a double murder case.

• pakistan
• sindh
• child
• brides
• sang-chati
• jirga
• debts