We all may have heard about “barter system”, in which there is no use of currency and the goods are given in exchange of other goods but have you heard about the exchange of girls?
In some parts of Pakistan, which are very orthodox, a bride for a bride is a common practice. As the daughter of Wazir Ahmed (36) reached puberty, it was the time for him to get a new bride, as he gave his daughter to Ramzan and got Saima, Ramzan’s sister as his second wife.
The National was told this by Wazir,
“We gave a girl in this family for a girl in their family. That is our right.”
This practice is known as “Watta Satta” which means give and take. The girls in these regions are given for settling the debts, disputes or for giving birth to a boy child for a male whose previous wives were not able to give birth to a boy.
Those who are practicing Watta Satta say that it is under the law of Islam and nothing is wrong in practicing it. However, Wazir and Ramzan were taken into custody for breaking the law of legal age of marriage (16) but later they were released as Saima declared that she was 16. As per Saima’s mother Janaat, it is a necessity for them. In her words,
“That would be a shame for us. We would have no honour. No – when they reach puberty, we have to marry them. Daughters are a burden, but the sons, they are the owners of the house.”
This is really a disgusting practice using girls as an object and we wish that this practice should come to end as soon as possible. What do you say? Share your opinion in the comments section below.
