MANSEHRA: The Balakot police on Thursday raided a jirga and arrested five of its members, who decreed an out-of-court settlement with an accused blamed for sexually assaulting a minor girl last week.

“We have arrested five people who held a jirga and forced the parents of the victim for and out-of-court settlement,” Saeed Khan Yudan, deputy superintendent of police Balakot, told a presser at his office.

He said the jirga was in progress in Hassa area of Balakot when the police party led by SHO Tariq Khan conducted a raid and arrested Liaqat Ali, Siraj Mohammad, Ayaz Ahmad, Mazhar Iqbal and Mohammad Shafi.

“The accused held jirga despite a ban on such forums and threatened parents of the sexually assaulted girl, who are hearing and speaking impaired, to indulge in a deal for an out-of-court settlement with the accused,” MrYudan said.

He said the medical report of the eight-year-old victim girl confirmed the assault by the accused.

The DSP said the accused was arrested under section 376 of PPC and 53 of the Child Protection Act. He said the accused was neighbour of the victim girl, who also identified him during the course of investigation. According to neighbours, the victim was a friend of the two daughters of the accused and they used to play with each other in the streets and in their houses.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2023