Authorities in Balochistan have detained Abdul Baqi following the alleged sale of his toddler to a 60-year-old man. The transaction , reportedly valued at 2.5 million Pakistani rupees, was facilitated through the traditional practice of walwar.
The 2.5 million rupee walwar transaction in Chaman
Abdul Baqi, a resident of the border city of Chaman, allegedly traded his daughter for 2.5 million Pakistani rupees. As reported by the BBC, this transaction was conducted under the guise of walwar, an outdated tradition where a groom's family provides a cash payment to the bride's family. this practice, though illegal under modern standards, continues to facilitate the sale of minors in certain regions.. While the marriage was recorded on paper, investigators are still scrutinizing the actual movement of the funds.
A connection to the death of Shukriya Bibi
The investigation into the child marriage has been complicated by the recent killing of Shukriya Bibi in Kuchlak. The deceased woman was the older sister of the three-year-old and was also the daughter-in-law of the alleged buyer, Salah Uddin. police are currently examining whether a dispute between the two families led to her death approximately two weeks ago.
The clash between Balochistan's 2025 marriage laws and religious councils
Balochistan's 2025 legal framework prohibits marriage for anyone under the age of 18, yet religious opposition remains a significant hurdle. The Council of Islamic Ideology has previously argued that such bans are not in line with Islamic injunctions, suggesting that public awareness is better than legal punishment. According to The Media Line, the council even rejected the bill because it was not sent to them for review by Parliament. Under current provincial law, adult men convicted of child marriage face up to three years in prison and fines of 200,000 Pakistani rupees.
Why 20% of Balochistan's girls under 18 remain married
Statistical data from UNICEF shows that more than one-in-five girls under the age of 18 are married in the Balochistan province. this issue is disproportionately affecting the region's most vulnerable populations, with 34 percent of women from lower-income backgrounds across Pakistan being married young. Even as national trends show a decline in child marriage, these localized statistics suggest a persistent cultural divide that law enforcement struggles to bridge.
The search for Salah Uddin and the missing 2.5 million rupees
Authorities are currently hunting for Salah Uddin, the 60-year-old man who is central to the alleged sale. While the father, Abdul Baqi, is in custody, the buyer has disappeared, leaving several questions unanswered. Police have yet to confirm if the 2.5 million rupees were ever actually transferred or if the entire arrangement was a fraudulent attempt to bypass local authorities. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the marriage was formalized on paper without the immediate exchange of the agreed-upon sum.
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