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Pakistan underage marriage case: Court orders Christian girl Arzoo’s purported husband be tried for rape

Just Earth News | @indiablooms | 11 Dec 2020, 11:45 am Print

Pakistan underage marriage case: Court orders Christian girl Arzoo’s purported husband be tried for rape Christian Girl Underage Marriage

Islamabad: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday invoked offence of rape against the Pakistani man who is a key suspect in the case connected to the underage marriage of Christian girl Arzoo.

The Christian minor girl was allegedly abducted before being forcefully converted and married to a Muslim man.

The judge also ordered the registration of a case against Syed Ali Azhar, who is the girl's purported husband, as well as against cleric Qazi Abdul Rasool Naqshbandi, the justice of peace and facilitators and witnesses under Section 3 of the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013, reports Dawn News.

The magistrate even issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the absconding suspects.

The judge sent the matter to the district and sessions’ judge (South) for initiating a trial, reports Dawn News.

Police had booked Azhar, his brothers Syed Mohsin Ali and Syed Shariq Ali and their friend Danish for allegedly kidnapping the teenage girl, forcibly converting her and marrying her to a Muslim man, the newspaper reported.