Police not to take Misbah into custody: law officer | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Police not to take Misbah into custody: law officer

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday disposed of a petition after restraining respondents from handing over a Scottish Muslim girl to any third party after an undertaking by the police that it would not do so. Law officer Seema Munawwar stated that the police had no intention to interfere in the matter.

Petitioner Tehmina Sajjad, sister of Scottish teenager Misbah Iram, through her counsel Dr A Basit, sought court directions to restrain government authorities from handing over her sister to British authorities. The court held that Misbah Iram will not be taken into custody by the police without first informing and procuring orders of the guardian court where the matter of the custody and guardianship of the minor was still pending. The counsel submitted that the mother of the girl had converted her religion and hence she lost her right of custody according to the Islamic Shariah. And that the girl was living with her father in Pakistan with her own will.

Earlier, a report on behalf of DIG, Operation, Lahore was submitted stating that the local police did not attempt to apprehend petitioner’s sister and there were no instructions from the high-ups to get hold of petitioner’s sister. The court asked for the protocol between Pakistan and Britain regarding custody of children and the counsel stated that the pact has no legal or constitutional status. The girl had left Scotland and joined her father in Pakistan, upon which British authorities had approached Pakistani authorities for her return.
Source: The News
Date:9/9/2006