10-year-old groom’s photographs go viral on social media in Gilgit-Baltistan

Darel: Photographs of a 10-year-old groom have gone viral on social media. The photograph shows a child, a large paper-garland around his neck, dressed as a groom, accompanied by adults. Other sources have said that the child was born in 2009, and thus he is 14 years old.

Locals have said that the child is a Grade-1 student. The child is a resident of Bashal Village in Darel Valley. The bride is reportedly 13 years old, according to unconfirmed reports.

Some reporters have said that the child comes from a low-income family and that the family does not have their own house; they live at someone else’s house in the village. The child’s father is reportedly unable to walk and talk and lacks the ability to financially support his family.

One reporter said that yesterday the child groom appeared in exams for Awal-e-Aala (Prep) class. On inquiry, a local social activist, Ishtiaq Dareli, said that the village did not have a school until recently, due to which older children have recently got admission and are in Nursery and Prep classes.

Under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 and Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961, the legal age for marriage in Pakistan is 18 for males and 16 for females. However, the law has not been promulgated to Gilgit-Baltistan yet.