Sukkur police arrest eight after illegal jirga orders ‘Vani’

Sukkur Police on Monday claimed to have arrested eight people after a video surfaced showing an alleged illegal jirga ordering a girl to be given as “vani” to settle a dispute linked to accusations of an improper relationship involving a  woman, 24NewsHD TV reported.

According to the SSP Sukkur, the jirga allegedly ruled that a girl from the accused boy’s family should be handed over as vani, a tribal custom in which women or girls are forcibly married to settle disputes.

Police said the jirga also allegedly ordered the killing of the boy after he refused to accept the decision.

The local police registered a case against 12 suspects on behalf of the state following the emergence of the video and subsequent investigation.

Eight suspects have been arrested, while raids are underway to capture the remaining four accused, police said.

According to the contents of the first information report (FIR), the boy was also accused during the jirga proceedings of threatening to kill a woman and forcibly making her disappear.

Police said further investigations were underway and legal action would be taken against all those involved in organizing and participating in the jirga.