PESHAWAR, June 12: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday directed a Kyrgyz woman’s Pakistani husband to file reply to a writ petition over a row between the couple over the custody of their two minor sons.

It also issued directions for the fixing of the case before a bench to be headed by the chief justice and adjourned hearing into the case to June 19.

The bench comprising Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth was hearing a writ petition filed by Kyrgyz woman Temirova Nurzhanal Osmonalyevna.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Sheikh Riazul Haq, objected to the filing of written reply by her client’s husband, Shaukat Ali, saying he had been a fugitive and several cases had been pending against him in Kyrgyz town of Bishkek.

The bench observed that the reply to be filed by the respondent (Shaukat) would be subject to the objection raised by the petitioner.

The two boys, Sudais, 6, and Ahmad Ali, 5, were produced before the court by Akbar Ali and police inspector Rafique, representatives of the Police Child Protection Centre (PCPC).

The bench asked the inspector to keep the two at PCPC until the next orders, saying they should be looked after well there and should be provided proper diet. It observed that it would decide about the custody of the boys in the next hearing in a conclusive manner.

Usman Khan Turlandi, lawyer for Shaukat Ali, said his client had issued him power of attorney and that the custody issue should be decided in view of the wellbeing of the two children.