A Pakistani father took his life in tragedy after a tribal assembly, or jirga, instructed his 12-year-old daughter to be forcibly wed to resolve a conflict, police reported on Tuesday.
The case became known after a recording of the father, Adil, was posted on social media. On the recording, he laments, saying that he was pushed into the agreement by the jirga.
“Adil killed himself by drinking poison to rescue his daughter from being sold,” local police officer Khalid Javed Khan said. “He made it very clear that he did not agree with the decision of the jirga and would prefer death.”
The jirga, which was conducted in Dera Ismail Khan, a far-flung district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, was called after a woman complained that Adil’s nephew had sexually harassed her at a wedding. Although the nephew paid a 600,000 rupee ($2,144) fine, the council also faulted Adil, deciding that his daughter should be handed over as compensation.
She was to be married by force to the brother of the girl who was harassed,” confirmed police.
Three members of the jirga have since been arrested by the authorities. Police official Sahibzada Sajjad promised that Adil’s six daughters are now safe.
Although illegal according to Pakistani law, the use of girls and women to resolve disputes is an ordinary occurrence within rural areas where jirgas are active alongside the formal justice system. In many cases, the councils dole out excessive punishments in the name of preserving family honor, including forced wedlock and abuse.
The tragic event has sparked renewed demands for better enforcement of legislation shielding women and children from such outdated and draconian treatment.