A three-year-old girl was allegedly sold for marriage to a 60-year-old man in Pakistan, just weeks after her older sister was reportedly killed by his son. The child's father, Abdul Baqi, allegedly agreed to marry his daughter to Salah Uddin in exchange for £6,800 under a practice known as "walwar", a Pashto term for money paid by a groom to the bride's family.
Alleged deal after sister's death
According to reports, the agreement was reached two weeks after the child's older sister, Shukria Bibi, was allegedly beaten to death by her husband, Kamran, who is Salah's son. Kamran, 30, was arrested following the alleged attack on September 7.
HUM reported that Kamran became angry after Shukria repeatedly looked outside at people passing their home despite being warned not to. She was allegedly attacked with iron rods and other sharp instruments.
Background of abuse
Shukria had reportedly been forced into marriage at the age of 13 and was alleged to have suffered physical abuse during the following two years. Her younger sister would have become Salah's wife once the agreed payment had been made, according to reports.
Police action and investigation
Israr Ahmed Umrani, assistant inspector general of Balochistan Police for gender issues, told The Media Line that officers arrested the girls' father after receiving information about the case. Police were also searching for Salah, who was believed to be in hiding following the arrest of his son.
Umrani said the investigation remained ongoing and authorities firmly opposed child marriage. Balochistan became the latest Pakistani province to ban child marriage in November 2025.
Wider context and calls for enforcement
Research carried out by Save the Children in 2024 found nearly two-thirds of marriages in Balochistan happened before the age of 18, while 40% took place before 16. One in four girls surveyed was under 16 when they had their first child, while 60% gave birth before turning 18.
One community member told the charity that "in our culture, it's believed that the earlier a girl is married, the better it is for her honour and the family's reputation". Another said marrying daughters early meant "one less mouth to feed".
Khuram Gondal, country director, described the new law as "a landmark moment for children in Balochistan and a historic moment for child rights" in the country. He added: "It is now vital that the law is enforced and the causes of early marriage are tackled. True change requires more than policies; it demands consistency, commitment, and the collective efforts of government, civil society, and local partners. We are also calling on other provinces to follow Balochistan, Sindh and Islamabad by introducing similar legislation to protect girls and boys from early marriage."
