The police have started an inquiry into the decision of a jirga in Jacobabad, which decided to exchange two girls, aged around seven to eight years old, as a fine after their mother and father decided to get married without their family’s permission in Jacobabad’s Thull.

Jacobabad SP Sumair Noor Channa started the investigation and appointed Thull DSP Noor Muhammad and Garhi Hassan DSP Ghulam Sarwar Buriro as inquiry officers. He has directed them to submit the report within 24 hours.

The SP has further ordered the police to provide protection to the girls and escort them to the court of judicial magistrate.

The jirga took place in Thull’s village Garhi Hassan on Wednesday evening, March 15.

The case concerns Hajira Mangi, a 30-year-old widow, who married a man named Dadu Mangi, 28, of her own will. Hajira and Dadu each have daughters. Dadu was already married.

Hajira’s parents say she got married without their permission. They said it was a case of siya kari or karo kari and approached their sardar, Zulfiqar Khan Sarki.

Sarki held a private jirga at his house in which he heard the case. He often holds jirgas with some to settle land disputes.

It was decided that to appease Hajira’s family, her daughter and Dadu’s daughter, would be handed over to Hajira’s brothers and married off as the family decided. Furthermore, the couple has to pay Rs200,000 as punishment. They paid Rs50,000 on the spot and the rest will be given in installments.

Jirgas were ruled as illegal by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2019.