July 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 12, 1429

NOWSHERA, July 15: The local police arrested four persons including a prayer leader and jirga members on charges of giving two minor girls in Swara to a rival group for resolving a dispute.

The police have been searching for 10 other persons including members of jirga, two boys with whom nikah of the minor girls were solemnised by the prayer leader, and their father.

Two of the accused were granted interim pre-arrest bail by a local court in Nowshera.

An FIR was registered at Pabbi police station few days earlier against 16 persons under the Pakistan Penal Code, which prohibits giving of a female to rival groups for settling disputes.

It is learnt that the police have handed over the two minor girls -- Bushra, 11, and Sumaira, 13 -- to their parents.

The detained persons are identified as a prayer leader Nazullah, Islam alias Bagora, Zarbaz and Sharif Gul.

The jirga had decided to handover the two girls in Swara, a tradition in which women are given in marriage to settle vendetta.

The prayer leader reportedly solemnise their marriage with sons of Abdullah Khan named Qari Rehman and Qari Usman.

Abdullah had alleged that father of the girls, Suleman, had entered his residence and was caught in objectionable position with one of the female family members.

However, Suleman denied the allegation and claimed that Abdullah wanted to marry his daughters to his sons and on his refusal to accept the proposal he hatched the conspiracy.

He said the jirga member did not accept his version of the story and ordered him to hand over the girls to his rivals.