TIMERGARA, Aug 29: Police on Wednesday arrested six people, including three jirga members, in Chakdara for giving away a three-year-old girl in Swara to a rival family. Those arrested are: Pervez Khan, father of the girl Iqra; Gul Khan, her grandfather, Ghulam Mohammad, grandfather of the boy; and jirga members Mohammad Gul, Lalzada and Ameer Nawab.

Police registered an FIR against 18 people, including a prayer leader, who had solemnised nikkah of the girl with seven-year-old Imran belonging to the rival family.

An official of the Ooch police told Dawn that the accused would be produced in the court on Thursday.

“We have been conducting raids in different areas for other culprits in the case,” said Lower Dir DPO Khurshed Khan.

The nikkah was performed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) Adezai tehsil Amir Maulana Gul Raheem alias Darbar Maula.

The rival family, which is in Kharian (Punjab), has now informed the victim’s family that they would not come to Chakdara for taking away the girl.