The Karachi girl’s parents were granted interim custody of the child after she was allegedly kidnapped last year. The girl’s mother and father asked for the case to be heard.
However, SHC emphasised to the girl’s mother that she and her husband bear a heavy burden.
“Alhumdulillah after a 7-month-long battle today the victim child is finally going home. She unequivocally informed the Honourable High Court that she wanted to reside with her parents. There are many lessons to be learned from this case & reforms are needed to curb child marriages,” Lawyer Jibran Nasir tweeted.
On Friday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) temporarily returned the teenage girl’s custody to her parents after she had gone missing from Karachi in April 2022 and subsequently been discovered to have wed Zaheer Ahmed, then 21, in Lahore.
The 14-year-old was also introduced before the court at today’s hearing before Justice Iqbal Kalhoro of the SHC.
Justice Kalhoro questioned the girl about her preference for staying with her parents or at the shelter home during the hearing. The 14-year-old expressed to the judge her desire to remain with her parents.
A child protection officer and female police officers shall visit the girl each week, the court further ordered. Additionally, it stated that following a discussion with the teenager, the child protection officer would report to the court.
The girl will not be permitted to leave Pakistan until the case has been resolved, according to Justice Kalhoro’s decision.
In the meantime, Zaheer’s attorney contended that the petition was invalid. “According to court rulings, the girl was held in a shelter home. It is not a habeas corpus matter, “said the attorney. Zaheer ought to be let to speak with the girl, he added.
