LAKKI MARWAT: Local police claimed to have arrested three people and recovered a nine-year-old girl and her mother who had reportedly fallen prey to the notorious swara custom in remote Mangla village in the area limits of Dadiwala police station.

A police official said that the victim woman come to the house of her parents in Mangla village where she was allegedly caught by her relatives being involved in immoral activities with a man.

The official said that the news of the incident reached her in-laws’ house angering her husband and father-in-law, Sher Nawaz.

“Sher Nawaz reacted to it and demanded of Gul Daraz, father of the accused, to send his two females to his house so as to satisfy the honour of family, otherwise his (Gul Daraz’s) son would face the consequences,” maintained the official.

The official said that Gul Daraz sent his wife, Nawera Bibi, and daughter, Zahida Bibi (9), to the house of Sher Nawaz to settle the dispute.

“But Sher Nawaz with the help of other accused persons solemnised nikah of Zahida Bibi with his son Qudratullah,” said the official, adding that on information about the happening of the gory incident, the police reached the village and recovered the victim girl and her mother from the house of Sher Nawaz.

The official said that police also arrested Sher Nawaz, Alam Khan and Sadar Zaman and started efforts to bring the remaining accused persons, including a local cleric, Maulana Ejaz into clutches of law.

Published in Dawn, October 11th , 2014