BAHAWALPUR: The Bahawalpur bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the Punjab local government and community development director general to take action under the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 against five Nikah registrars, who failed to fill the relevant columns in their registers and the marriage deeds regarding the age of grooms and brides.

The anomalies in the record surfaced when LHC Bahawalpur bench senior judge Justice Anwarul Haque Panno was hearing petitions regarding the underage marriages and recovery of women.

The judge ordered action against Nikah registrar Abdul Qayyum of Arifwala in Pakpattan district for administering the Nikah of 14-year-old Sadia Noor, Qazi Shahid of UC-46 of Sukhail village in Bahawalpur district for the nikah of 11-year-old Amna Bibi, Qazi Malik Muhammad Ramzan of Mauza Ghalwan, Alipur in Muzzafargarh district for the nikah of 13-year-old Mehwish, Nikah Khawan of Hateji village in Ahmedpur East tehsil for the nikah of Momal Fida and Qazi Murtaza of Ahmedpur East in the case of Nadia Bibi Vs SHO.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025