 ordered to hand over the custody of the teenage girl to her parents.){kind=link}
Dua Zehra Custody granted to her parents. The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered to hand over the custody of the teenage girl to her parents.
A 14-year-old girl reportedly went missing from Karachi on April 16, 2022, but sued to have left home to marry 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed in Lahore.
Her father filed a case for the girl’s return and challenged the marriage under the Child Marriage Act. He had resisted in court that the girl was 14 years old.
Court had ordered starting of a special medical board to decide the girl’s age. The board submitted its report demanding the girl aged closer to 15 years.
Dua Zehra Custody:
Throughout the hearing on Friday, Justice Iqbal Kalhoro heard the case during which the minor girl also presented formerly the court.
Justice Kalhoro asked the girl whether she wants to stay at the shelter home or with her parents. The girl answered that she wants to go to her parent’s house and stay with them.
The court then asked the parents to submit a bond of Rs1 million and granted them temporary custody. Permanent custody of the girl decided by the trial court.
Judged said that a child protection officer besides with female police officer would visit the girl every week and submit a report to the court. He ordered that the girl not allowed to leave Pakistan till the case decided.
Zaheer’s lawyer claimed that the petition was irrelevant. He said the girl kept in a shelter home on the court’s order. He said that Zaheer allowed visiting the girl.
Lawyer Jibran Nasir, who signified the girl’s father, welcomed the decision and said that the child was lastly going home after a seven-month-long battle.
In a declaration on Twitter, Jibran said many lessons to learn from this case and reforms needed to control child marriages.
#StateVsZaheerAhmed
— M. Jibran Nasir ???????? (@MJibranNasir) January 6, 2023
Alhumdulillah after 7 month long battle today victim child is finally going home. She unequivocally informed Hon' High Court that she wants to reside with parents. There are many lessons to be learnt from this case & reforms are needed to curb child marriages
He thanked the team of lawyers for providing their services to confirm the safe recovery and return of the child for the sake of justice.
Read Also: Karachi court canceled bail of Zaheer Ahmed
Speaking to the media after granted custody, Mehdi Kazmi stated gratitude for the return of his daughter. He thanked all the lawyers who filed cases and petitions in the case. He secures to provide the best care for his daughter and said she will return to school soon.