MINGORA, Nov 3: Swara is a custom under which mostly minor girls are `married off` in order to settle an honour-related dispute or murder case with the rival family. This unlawful custom is unfortunately still prevalent in the hilly areas of Swat district.

About two months ago, a teenage girl (N) contacted the district public safety commission, Swat, for dissolution of her forced marriage and demanded action against all jirga members that had decided the honor-related issue by giving her hand to a boy of the rival family.

At that time, the girl had told Dawn in Kabal tehsil that their neighbour Khan Bacha had accused her uncle Sardar Ali of having illicit relations with his wife.

She said that the matter was taken to the local jirga on August 16, 2003 where her father, Habibur Rehman, uncleLatifur Rehaman and members of Khan Bacha family, including Khalid Khan and Karah, and some others were in attendance. She said that the jirga ordered her marriage under swara to settle the matter.

`I was forced into marriage with Sardar Hussain, a close relative of Khan Bacha,` she added. Despite strict orders by the authorities concerned for taking immediate action against accused of swara cases, six cases surfaced in parts of Swat, including Madyan, Kalam, Matta and Kabal.

Swat DPO Sher Akbar Khan told Dawn that of six the cases police had registered FIR in four cases while the rest two were under proceeding in the court of magistrates concerned.

He said that swara was unlawful and inhuman custom, which could be eradicated through collective efforts and added that police was working on creatingdeterrence, punishing the accused and rescuing the swara affected girls to uproot this evil from the society.

The DPO said that he had asked all police officials to compel the potential jirga holders to avoid jirgas for settlement of honor-related issues. He claimed that police had taken timely action against the jirga members in all the registered cases.

He said that they had also recovered swara-affected girls, adding that this social evil could be eliminated through creating proper awareness among the people. `Apart from police, ulema, media and NGOs could play a vital role in eradication of swara tradition,` he said.

Maulana Sadiq Ahmad said that there were clear Islamic injunctions that no person could be given punishment for the crime committed by other person.

He said that swara tradition was against the Islamic teachings and country`s laws.