UPPER DIR: Police prevented a 10-year-old girl and boy from being exchanged as vani by a jirga to settle a family dispute in Dobando area of Upper Dir on Thursday morning.

"The police was alerted by locals that a jirga was meeting to conduct the nikah ceremony and settle a dispute between the children's families through vani," said District Police Officer (DPO) Dir Israr Bacha.

He added that jirga members fled the scene following the police raid.

Police officials took the girl and boy into protective custody.

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Earlier, the boy's older sister was discovered by her family members calling and texting a 20-year-old man, following which her relatives wanted to kill him in the name of "honour".

"We intervened and took the man into protective custody and freed him after presenting the case in court," added DPO Bacha.

Bacha added the families apparently did not consider the case resolved, and mutually decided to marry the man's younger sister to the girl's younger brother.