Viral video: Boy, 13, gets engaged to 12-year-old girl with parents' consent after....

A 13-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl in Pakistan have sparked outrage on social media as they are set to get married. Despite legal curbs on the minimum age for marriage in the country, this case has underlined the ongoing issue of child marriages.

In Pakistan, the legal marriage age for males is 18, but for females, it is 16 despite the minimum age for both genders being set as 18 internationally. While Sindh province passed legislation in 2013 to elevate the minimum age of marriage to 18 for both genders, this change has not been executed nationwide.

This has received immense criticism, especially after news emerged that the boy had given an ultimatum to his parents, stating that he would only study if he was allowed to marry the girl. Their families then got them engaged and have now agreed to their wedding.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Salaam! Pakistan (@salaam_pakistan)

According to reports, the couple’s “Baat Pakki” ceremony, a traditional engagement event, has already occured, with both mothers speaking to the media. Surprisingly, the girl’s mother herself married at 16, and showed acceptance of her daughter’s early marriage, citing her own experience. Similarly, the boy’s mother, despite marrying at the age of 25, has supported her son’s wish to marry at such a young age.

One person stated, “This has become too much.” Another said, “Engagement has happened just this kid, his father is in serious condition and he has only one son, what is this function for his father’s happiness.” A third asserted, “If he became a content creator then understand that everything was pre-planned.”