DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Ten persons were arrested and a case was registered against 22 others for being involved in a vani case in Katch area of Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday.

The police swung into action after the vani case was reported on media. According to police, a case was registered against 22 people, including members of a punchayat (jirga), the person who solemnised the nikah and the bridegroom.

The incident took place in Katch area when Mohammad Abid and a girl in his neighbourhood fled and tied knot against the wish of the girl’s family. Soon after the incident, family of the girl called a punchayat to decide the case. The head of four-member jirga Haji Abdul Ghaffar ordered Abid’s family to give 14-year-old Muqadas, the sister of Abid, to aggrieved party in vani.

According to an official at Bandkori police station, soon after the reports about the incident the police contacted the affected family of the girl but they refused to register any report.

However, on local residents’ insistence, the police registered case under section 310 against 22 accused persons, including the jirga head, bridegroom Saifur Rehman, his father Abdur Rehman, and Abdul Sattar, who solemnised the nikah.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2018