Police have claimed to have arrested at least 10 people, including the groom and the girl’s stepfather, for facilitating the forced marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a 70-year-old man in Punjab’s Attock.

The stepfather is suspected of having arranged the marriage between the young girl and the elderly man in the jurisdiction of the Hazro Police Station.

A case has been registered against the individuals involved, including the groom and the girl’s 60-year-old stepfather, and four siblings of the groom.

Upon the police’s arrival, the marriage registrar, Iftikhar Shah alias Mitho, fled the scene. An investigation was underway as police worked to gather more details about the incident.