Punjab Police Prevent Child from Forced Marriage in Wanni/Badl e Sulah Incident

Lahore, Punjab Police intervened to save an eight-year-old girl from becoming a victim of Wanni/Badl e Sulah in Rajanpur, in line with the directives from Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif under the Never Again campaign. This action is part of the province-wide efforts to enforce zero tolerance towards gender-based crimes and violence against children.

According to Punjab Police, the Rajanpur authorities acted swiftly upon receiving information about the situation involving Kousar Bibi, who had been subjected to a traditional practice of conflict resolution involving forced marriage. Police rescued the girl and, following a medical examination, returned her safely to her parents.

This incident was linked to a dispute resolution attempt after a relative of Kousar’s eloped, leading to pressure on her family to comply with a traditional and illegal compensation method. The police have since arrested three individuals, including a community leader involved in the incident, and are pursuing further arrests to ensure justice for the victim.