Freewill couple urges SC to quash ‘fake FIR’

Say they were arrested despite securing pre-arrest bail

ISLAMABAD: A young married couple have approached the Supreme Court, urging it to protect them from police harassment and to cancel a fake FIR against them.

Zeenat Hussain, a resident of Gulistan-e-Johar in Karachi, filed a petition in the apex court on Monday under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution where she urged the top court to take notice against Sindh Police’s illegal raid on their house.

Hussain said that she had married Sain Dad on November 10, 2015, of her own free will.

However, on November 13, 2015, Hussain’s father Abdul Rehman (listed as a respondent in the petition) filed a case at the Dabbar police station in Sukkur against Dad, his brother Balak Sher and their father Ali Gul and Sher Ali Khan for abducting his daughter Zar Naz.

Fearing arrest, Gul, Dad, Sher and Khan managed to successfully secure pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court on December 21.

But just a day later, police arrived at their doorstep in an unmarked car amid a barrage of death threats, took the two away.

Later, they also raided Balak Sher’s house and took away valuables.

In her petition Hussain argued that the police had illegally raided their house and violated the pre-arrest bail granted by a high court.

She further contended that the police under Article 35 of the Constitution was bound to protect them. Instead, Hussain claimed the police had lodged a fake case against them and had raided their houses illegally and took away valuables.

Hussain prayed the apex court cancel the November 13 FIR against them and take action against the police officials responsible and recover the valuables taken away.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.