Adoption Dispute: Three claimants, one baby

Judge referred the matter to the CJ with a request to consolidate all the petitions.

LAHORE:

The medical superintendent of Services Hospital assured the Lahore High Court on Wednesday that she would not hand over a baby boy until petitions moved by three different claimants to the child are decided.

Dr Rehana Malik, appearing in connection with a petition moved by Samanabad resident Ghiasuddin seeking custody of the boy, said two similar petitions were pending adjudication in the LHC and all three pleas should be resolved together.

The judge referred the matter to the chief justice with a request to consolidate all the petitions and adjourned the hearing for one week. In the meantime, the judge directed the medical superintendent not to award custody of the child to any of the claimants.

Ghiasuddin had submitted that he and his wife had applied to the district coordination officer for permission to adopt an unclaimed child. He said their application was allowed and they were given guardianship of the unclaimed baby boy on March 1. He named the baby named Muhammad Abdullah. He said he later took him to Services Hospital after he fell sick. He said the medical superintendent had stopped him from visiting the baby and told him that one Saleem Ahmad had also filed a petition in the LHC for the custody of the baby.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2012.