LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday sent Dua Zahra, the Karachi girl who contracted marriage against the will of her family, to Darul Aman as she cited threats to her life at the hands of her parents.

Earlier, the girl appeared before the magistrate along with her counsel and filed a written application seeking a direction to send her to the government shelter.

In the application, Zahra said her relation with husband Zaheer Ahmad became strained and her life was also in danger at the hands of her parents and other relatives.

The applicant said she left the house of her husband and spent the previous night at the house of a relative.

The girl said she had no place to live and wanted the court to send her to Darul Aman for her better security.

Magistrate Rizwan Ahmad allowed the application and directed a state prosecutor to ensure shifting of the girl to Darul Aman of the city district government till further orders.

Meanwhile, Syed Mehdi Ali Kazmi, father of Zahra, filed an application with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau for the rescue of his ‘minor’ daughter being a victim of the offences of kidnapping and abduction.

On behalf of Mr Kazmi, Advocate Fahad Ahmad Siddiqui moved the application under the provisions of the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Amendment Act 2017.

The applicant asked the bureau that his minor daughter should be taken into custody and be handed over to him in accordance with the law.

He also sought criminal proceedings against Zaheer Ahmad, the husband of Zahra, and his mother Noor Bibi for keeping the minor girl in their custody in contravention of the provisions of Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children (amendment) Act 2017.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2022