NOWSHERA: A local court on Monday sent a girl, who had allegedly tied the knot with her step-bother, on a one-day remand to the Risalpur police here.

The girl was brought to the court of magistrate Mohammad Wali amid tight security.

Earlier, the court had sent the girl to Mardan Darul Aman on her request as she said she faced serious threats to her life.

The girl’s mother had requested the magistrate to hand the girl over to her, but the court rejected her request and sent the girl on physical remand.

The other accused in the case has already obtained bail before arrest till Nov 28.

It is to mention here that Hazrat Bibi, wife of Sikander Khan of Kother Pan village, had registered FIR with Risalpure police station on Oct 27, stating that her step son had abducted her daughter on Oct 24, and requested the police to recover the girl.

The police claimed to have recovered the girl, 16, and her step-brother who had fled to Karachi where they allegedly got married and prepared a Nikhanama (marriage contract).

In her statement before the magistrate, the girl said that her father wanted to forcibly marry her with another man against her will. She added that she and her step-brother made a plan to flee to Karachi to avoid her being forcibly married.

The girl said she tied the knot with her step-brother in the fear that the police would arrest them.

However, she added that they returned voluntarily to home when she heard about the FIR registered against them by her mother.

The magistrate ordered that sections 419, 420, 468 and 471B be added to the FIR as the duo had allegedly prepared a fake Nikhanama.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2018