Mother seeks help for daugther sold to settle gambling debt

Hyderabad, Pakistan, Feb 27 (UNI) The mother of a teenage Pakistani girl, allegedly sold by her (late) father when she was one-year-old, has threatened to immolate herself if the girl, now 16, is not saved from being handed over to a middle-aged man.

The English-language Dawn newspaper quoted Ms Nooran of Zeal Pak Colony at Latifabad in Hyderabad as saying that her late husband Rahib was a gambler and he had sold their one-year-old daughter Rasheeda for Rs 10,000 to one Lal Hyder after incurring heavy debt in gambling. She said that her parents gave her Rs 10,000 and she returned the money to Lal.

Ms Nooran said that Lal was pressuring her to marry off Rasheeda to his son, adding that her sons Peeral and Abdul Wahab were receiving threats.

She threatened to immolate herself if she and her family were not saved from the harassment and provided protection from Lal, his son Ghani and others.

Taking notice of the mother's appeal, Hyderabad District Police Officer Ali Ahmed Junejo ordered registration of a case against ten people. Police teams have been constituted for the arrest of the accused.

UNI