21-year-old Mehwish was forced to tie the knot with her 10-year-old cousin Allah Ditta in Pindi Bhattian. PHOTO: EXPRESS SCREENGRAB

In an incident reminiscent of the dark ages, a 21-year-old girl in Punjab was forced to marry her 10-year-old cousin for keeping the hereditary property within the family.



According to Express News, brothers of the girl, identified as Mehwish, organised the wedding in Bhngsika village in the outskirts of the town of Pindi Bhattian.



Locals expressed their dismay over the incident, saying forcing an adult girl to tie the knot with a juvenile boy, Allah Ditta, was a violation of law.



They also regretted lack of action from Child Protection Bureau and other relevant legal institutions.



This is not an isolated incident, as numerous child marriages go unreported in various parts of the country under the nose of the authorities concerned.



Child marriage, that is marriage below the age of 18 years, is a cognisable offense under the Punjab Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act 2015.



Section 5 of the PMRA prescribes a jail term of six months or a fine of Rs50,000, or both, for solemnising the marriage of a minor.