MIANWALI, July 29: Another girl escaped vani, the tradition of trading girls to settle disputes, when her guardian paid an additional amount of Rs300,000 to complainants on Sunday in Ramzanabad locality of the city.

A meeting, held to implement the agreement, however, ordered rukhsati of a second girl in three months. The meeting was attended by notables, elders of the area and religious scholars, including Pir Ghulam Dastgir Miana.

The girl was four months old when her nikah was solemnized about 20 years ago. She was one of the three girls, and the youngest one, who were married to the men of their rival family. The girls were four, eight and 18 months old at the time of their nikah. The rukhsati of the eldest girl was done five years ago.

The youngest, who is now an MA student, refused to accept her marriage and threatened to commit suicide if she was forced for rukhsati. Her ‘husband’, Mehr Zaman, already married, is an illiterate camel-cart driver.

The meeting imposed a ‘fine’ of Rs300,000 for violating the agreement and her maternal uncle, a grade-19 officer, who adopted her after the death of her father, agreed to pay the amount.

Khizar Hayat, the stepbrother of the deceased, exerted pressure for the rukhsati of the girl.

The amount was given to one of the mediators as a dispute on the distribution of the amount erupted between Khizar and his nephew Mehr Zaman, the husband of the girl.

The amount would be paid to them when they would give divorce to the girl, said the mediator.

According to details, one Muhammad Yousaf was killed in Dher Yaroowala village over a land dispute 30 years ago. Five people were nominated in the FIR of whom two were sentenced to life imprisonment while three were acquitted. The two convicts were also released by the Lahore High Court after serving five years in jail. About 20 years ago both the families decided to settle the issue. The accused party paid Rs16,000 in cash and agreed to give their three daughters to three men of their rival’s family.