MIANWALI, May 16: Musakhel police rescued two girls which were to be handed over to their rivals as Wani in accordance with the decision of a panchayat. Mumtaz Khan, the son of Ahmed Nawaz Khan of Dalileywala village in the jurisdiction of Musakhel police station, some 15kms from here, had a joint business with his relative Shafaullah Khan, the son of Hayatullah Khan, of the same village.

Last month, Shafaullah, on the basis of an ambiguous letter addressed to his wife, had accused Mumtaz of having relations with his wife, the mother of a girl.

The matter was brought to the notice of the panchayat which decided that two unmarried sisters of accused Mumtaz - Rehana Bibi (14) be given to Shafaullah and Rukhsana Bibi (16) to his unmarried brother Ziaullah in compensation. Shafaullah also divorced his wife.

Mumtaz and his family members insisted that they were innocent, but their rivals threatened that they would kill Mumtaz, the only son, if they did not accept the decision of the panchayat.

At this, Nikah of both the girls was performed and they were to be handed over to their rivals after two days. In the meanwhile, a delegation of notables headed by NPP central secretary Maj Rafiullah Khan (retired) and union council Nazim Zahoor Khan met DPO Dr Shakeel Ahmed Mirza and apprised him of the situation.

Taking an immediate action, the DPO informed Musakhel DSP Malik Muhammad Iqbal Awan, who has not only recovered the girls but also recorded their statements. Later, the girls were handed over to the Karwan Community Development, Kalabagh, a welfare organization, for producing them before a local court.