Jirga in northwest Pakistani village restricts dowry for marriages

PESHAWAR - In order to assist poor families in marrying off their children, a Jirga, or council of tribal elders, in the Pakistani province of Lower Dir set a tola (11.7 grams) of gold as dowry, according to villagers.

In South Asia, especially Pakistan, there is a long-standing custom known as dowry, whereby the bride's family presents the groom with furniture, jewelry, money, and other material possessions upon their marriage.

Parts of Lower Dir have a custom where 2-5 tolas of gold are required as dowry, However the majority of poor households cannot afford it given how much it has lately increased in price.

The most common unit of measurement for precious metals in Pakistan is the tola (one tola equals.44 troy ounce), with one tola of gold presently costing Rs215,800.

Villagers were also urged by the jirga to abide by the decision, and anyone who did not, would face a fine of Rs 1 million.