UPPER DIR: The police have arrested nine jirga members, including a prayer leader, in a swara case in Charkoom area of Upper Dir here.

DSP Wari circle Amjad Ali Khan and SHO Sahibabad police station, Inspector Mohammad Hussain Khan, told a press conference here on Sunday that the police had been informed by informers that an eight-year-old girl had been married to a 13-year-old boy under swara custom in Charkoom area, and that the Nikah ceremony had also been held at the best of a jirga.

They said that the jirga members gave the minor girl in swara to the teenage boy after her brother talked on phone with the sister of the teenager.

They said the jirga was called on the request of the 13-year-old boy’s father.

DSP Amjad Ali said the police constituted a special team which arrested nine people, including the Pesh Imam who solemnised the Nikah.

The police registered FIR against the jirga members under different sections of the PPC.

The arrested jirga members were identified as prayer leader Maulana Rahimullah, Farid Khan, Ameer Nawab, Fazal Rahman, Ajab Khan, Sartaj Khan, Tajbar Khan, Faiz Mohammad and Askar.

Meanwhile, two persons were killed and two others injured when a car fell into a ravine in Tikar Kot area of the Brawal tehsil late on Saturday night, the police said.

They said the car was part of a wedding procession, adding the accident occurred when the driver lost control over the steering. As a result, two young boys died on the spot and two others were injured, who were shifted to a hospital in Brawal.

The deceased were identified as Waheed Khan and Numan Khan. Brawal hospital sources said condition of the injured was out of danger.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2020