DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A man in Dera Ismail Khan has committed suicide after a local council (panchayat) decided to give his 13-year-old daughter in Vani — a traditional practice of forced marriage as punishment.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Paharpur Police Station, the father of the girl took his own life by consuming poisonous pills in the village of Bagwani Shumali after the panchayat’s decision.
Local police said that the main accused and the council’s scribe (who wrote the decision) have been arrested, while other suspects involved will soon be taken into custody.
It’s worth noting that the “Vani” custom is practiced by some tribes in Pakistan, where councils order the forced marriage of a girl — often a daughter or sister — as punishment. These girls are typically from poor families who lack the financial resources to pay compensation and are forced to comply with such unlawful decisions.
Allegations of Misconduct and Panchayat’s Verdict
According to the FIR filed at the Paharpur Police Station, a video of the victim, Adil Ramzan, a barber and a resident of Bagwani Shumali, went viral before he committed suicide.
Initial police investigation revealed that during a wedding event, Adil’s nephew was allegedly caught engaging in inappropriate behaviour (at Adil’s home) with the daughter of the main accused.
The case was brought before a local council (panchayat), which imposed a fine of Rs600,000 on Adil’s family.The accused insisted that his daughter’s honour had been tainted at Adil’s home and demanded further action.
Also read: Karachi: couple shot dead in name of ‘honour’
The FIR stated that the council then forced Adil to sign a written statement agreeing to give his 13-year-old daughter in ‘Vani’.
As per local customs, Adil’s daughter was then engaged to the accused’s son, and the family was pressured for an early marriage and her immediate departure from the house.
According to the FIR, Adil, distressed by the council’s decision, took his own life. Police, however, claimed that his family had not filed any formal complaint regarding the matter.
Preliminary investigation confirmed that the council’s decision to give Adil’s daughter in Vani played a key role in his death.
A voice message, reportedly recorded by Adil before his death, is circulating on social media. Police took action only after this message surfaced online.
In the audio, Adil expressed his heartbreak over his daughter’s forced engagement: “We were not at fault. I didn’t forgive them — you shouldn’t forgive them either.”
He also said that he was made to sign documents under pressure. Despite pleading with them, they did not listen to him and falsely implicated him.
Adil urged for his children’s safety and well-being in his final message.
Breaking down in tears, he said: “Let no harm come to my daughter — I can sacrifice myself, but I was innocent and wrongfully accused.”
Pakistan has laws against Vani (also known as Swara), which have been included in the FIR. These include Section 310A of the Pakistan Penal Code, which criminalizes giving women in forced marriage as punishment and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
Police have also added Section 322 to the case.
What Action Has Police Taken So Far?
Meanwhile, the KP Police Inspector General took notice of the Vani case and the viral voice note, and directed the local police to immediately arrest those involved.
The police tracked down the suspects and, in a raid, arrested the main accused responsible for giving the underage girl in Vani and the council’s scribe who documented the decision.
SP Paharpur Gohar Khan said that the minor girl was recovered and handed over to her family.
According to the police, “Further investigation is under way to arrest the remaining individuals involved in the case.”
Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Sahibzada Sajjad told the BBC Urdu that as soon as the police learned about the panchayat decision and the subsequent suicide of the girl’s father, they immediately registered a case.
When asked about the power of the local council (panchayat) in the area, the DPO clarified that this was not an official council’s decision. “It wasn’t a formal gathering or a publicly announced verdict — rather, it was an informal agreement reached between the family members behind closed doors.”
He said, “The decision to give the girl in Vani and the subsequent negotiations took place privately. As soon as the police were informed, we registered the case without delay.”
The DPO confirmed that two individuals have been arrested so far, while others who fled the scene will be apprehended soon.
He also stated that the girl is now safe at home, and the Rs700,000 that had been taken from Adil as part of the settlement has been recovered.