Quetta: Police in Quetta have taken swift action following national outrage over a horrifying case of child exploitation in Kachlak, where a 60 year old man allegedly paid Rs 2.5 million to marry a three year old child before demanding her seven year old relative instead. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has ordered immediate legal proceedings against all individuals involved, while government authorities emphasised that those treating minors as economic commodities will face full legal consequences.
The appalling details emerged after video footage and interviews surfaced online showing the mother of the child admitting that the family agreed to the marriage arrangement in exchange for Rs 2.5 million provided directly by the accused. According to local reports, after realising the actual age of the three year old toddler, the 60 year old man refused to proceed with her and instead demanded to marry a seven year old girl from the same family. The revelation sparked immediate public fury across social media platforms, prompting swift intervention from provincial authorities.
In response to the growing public outrage, Chief Minister of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti officially took notice of the incident and directed law enforcement agencies to apprehend all individuals connected to the illegal transaction. Deputy Commissioner Habib Bangalzai confirmed that the father of the child, identified as Abdul Bari, has been taken into police custody. Raids and investigative searches remain actively underway to track down and arrest facilitators, intermediaries, and family members who abetted the forced union.
Speaking on the official government position, Balochistan Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind issued a stern statement assuring the public that no individual implicated in the crime would be spared from prosecution. He noted that the incident is not merely an isolated criminal offense, but a stark reflection of a deep rooted societal malady prevalent in parts of the country where minors, particularly young girls, are commodified to resolve financial distress, personal debts, or family disputes.
The horrific case in Kuchlak highlights the persistent gap between statutory child protection frameworks and ground level legal enforcement in rural and peripheral regions. While the Pakistan Penal Code and child restraint laws prohibit the sale of minors and forced child marriages, extreme poverty and the absence of formal birth registration in remote areas continue to leave vulnerable children exposed to transactional exploitation.
