Pakistani police have raided an illegal child wedding in the city of Karachi, arresting the children's parents and the Muslim cleric carrying out the ceremony.

A court freed the parents on bail on Saturday, a day after police raided the wedding ceremony between a seven-year-old boy and a girl aged five.

The parents said the wedding had been arranged to end an eight-year feud between the two families.

Marriage below the age of 18 is illegal in Pakistan.

Some Muslim scholars believe marriage is permissible between children if the bride and groom have reached puberty.

Police raided the wedding on Friday, before it could go ahead in front of about 100 guests.

Television footage showed both children in traditional wedding clothes being carried by a policemen after the raid.

The Associated Press reported a Pakistan Human Rights Commission official as saying that the maximum punishment for the parents would be one month in jail and fine of some $10.