Six-year-old Pakistani girl rescued from wedding venue

ISLAMABAD - A six-year-old Pakistani girl, whose marriage was to be solemnised with her 23-year-old cousin, was rescued from a secret wedding venue by the police. The unsuspecting girl had been assured that she would get many gifts.

The bridegroom Zahid was arrested from the marriage venue in Sheikhupura in Punjab province.

“We received a tip off about the marriage but it took us a while to find the place as the wedding was being conducted in secret,” Express Tribune quoted Bilal Zafar, a police official, as saying.

Several wedding guests were taken into police custody for questioning.

Zahid was being wed to his six-year-old cousin Uzma.

“Most of the wedding guests fled when they saw us coming but we sealed off the wedding site and recovered the girl,” said Bilal.

Police officials said that when they questioned the girls family they were told that the girl had agreed to the marriage.

Uzma didnt really have much idea of what was happening here and said that her parents had told her she would get many gifts, the police official said, adding the girl did not know she was getting married.