A 50-year-old man was arrested in the village of Ali Bux Kaloi, Mirpurkhas, on Friday for allegedly marrying a 12-year-old girl from the area after a jirga ordered the forced union following a dispute between both parties' families.

Mirpurkhas Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) police in-charge Imamuddin Chandio raided the village and arrested Ghulam Mustafa Kaloi along with Nikah Khawan, Maulvi Mir Asif Talpur, who had allegedly administered the nikah on August 22.

Police officials said that the young girl was married to Ghulam Mustafa Kaloi to settle a dispute between the two families which emerged when Ghulam Mustafa's daughter and the minor's brother, Abdul Aziz Kaloi, married each other in court a month ago.

The decision of the minor’s forced marriage was made by a jirga held in the village, police told Dawn.

Station House Officer Latif Leghari told Dawn that the girl had been recovered during the raid on the village, and that a thorough investigation into the matter was underway.

According to the police, a first investigation report (FIR) has been registered at Tando Jan Mohammad Police Station against Ghulam Mustafa Kaloi and Maulvi Asif under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013 on behalf of the state.

Ghotki man sentenced to death for double-murder

Ubaryo Additional Sessions Court Judge Akhtar Malik awarded a man a death sentence on Friday for a 2012 double-murder case in Sindh.

Qaimuddin Dondho was found guilty of shooting his sisters, Samani and Marvi, in Ghotki district’s Ravnti area in 2012.

"The FIR was registered on behalf of the state," a police officer told Dawn adding that the convict had been shifted to Sukkur Central Jail after the verdict was read.