Daily Times

The only silver lining to an utterly shocking instance of a 70-year-old marrying a minor in Swat is that (at least this time around), an uproar on social media alerted law enforcement agencies to take action.

As of now, the nikkah khwan, witnesses, the girl’s father as well as the groom have all been arrested. Meanwhile, the disturbing incident has sparked outrage and once again raised serious concerns about the widespread prevalence of child marriage in Pakistan.

That the country’s law treats child marriage as a serious crime in Pakistan, has had no effect whatsoever on an array of local customs and practices forcing children well below the legal marriageable age to take vows. Statistics by UNICEF lament show that 21 per cent of girls in Pakistan get married before the age of 18 amounting to the second-highest number of child brides.

Time and again, the government invests considerable resources in raising awareness about how marrying a child not only violates their basic human rights but can lead to severe physical and psychological implications for the young bride. With one of the highest maternal mortality rates in South Asia, which goes up by at least 26 per cent in rural areas, pushing a minor girl to marry before she is ready for a life-changing responsibility automatically renders her vulnerable to a lethal risk.

As media, we need to stand by the state institutions and constantly invest resources to challenge the societal norms that enable child marriage to persist. By bringing attention to cases like the one in Swat and the health complications faced by young brides, we can provoke a much-needed conversation about the harmful effects of this practice. Meanwhile, the government should reflect on the measures it can take to ensure the enforcement of existing laws.

No child deserves to have their carefree childhood stripped away, only to be shoved down a rabbit hole of undue pressures, endless obligations and threats to health and well-being. *