Top court orders meeting between Lithuanian mother, daughters

SC says no sympathy for man who ran away with his children

ISLAMABAD: Seven years after her Pakistani ex-husband took away their three daughters, a Lithuanian mother on Monday met her children following the top court’s directives.

The decision came as a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Atta Bandiyal and Justice Ejazul Ahsan, began hearing of a petition filed by the Lithuanian woman, Maimouna, seeking the recovery of her daughters Ayesha, Maryam, and Amna from the alleged illegal custody of her ex-husband Jamshid Siddique.

During court proceedings the CJP asked the children if they had met their mother, to which Maryam replied that she did not know Maimouna.

When the bench directed court officials to arrange a meeting between the children and their mother, Maryam said she wanted her father to be present in the meet.

“This is your upbringing?” asked Justice Nisar. “You have poisoned their minds.”

Ordering a meeting between the children and their mother, Justice Nisar also directed court officials to provide refreshments for the family reunion.

Breaking: Finally Maimouna meets her three daughters after 7 years. Alhumdulillah #ThankYouChiefJustice #IndeedBabaRehamtay pic.twitter.com/wHfexoA2by

— Hassaan Niazi (@HniaziISF) April 2, 2018

The top court remarked that they had no sympathies for a man who had run away with his children, now aged 13, 11 and nine. “A mother could not see her children for seven years.”

Justice Nisar observed that the father had not even made the effort to have the daughters speak to their mother via video calls.

“Why should we not lodge an FIR against the man?” asked the CJP.

The Supreme Court had taken notice of the Lithuanian woman’s plea on March 31. The petition was presented through her counsel Chaudhry Faisal Hussain in the chamber of the chief justice after office hours. The CJP directed the office to register the case and fix it before him and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan in his chamber on Friday.

Later, the CJP and Justice Khan heard the case and issued notices to the respondents. The court also ordered the Gujranwala DPO to present the minors before this court on Monday.

“Meantime, custody of the minors should not be removed from the jurisdiction of this court. In this regard, directions be issued to the Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan to ensure compliance of order,” said the order. The bench also directed the DPO to serve the court’s notice to the applicant’s ex-husband.

Today at Supreme Court Maimouna made an appeal to Chief Justice Saqib Nisar. Her appeal was heard and notice was taken and CJ came from his house and conducted the proceedings in the chambers. He told the DPO gujranwala to produce the daughters. #ThankYouChiefJusticeSaqibNisar pic.twitter.com/CMKgdJoaCD

— Hassaan Niazi (@HniaziISF) March 30, 2018

According to the petition, Liskauskaite converted to Islam on January 7, 2004 of her own free will and contracted marriage with Siddique. The marriage was solemnised in Lithuania and three daughters – Ayesha, Maryam and Amna – were born.

On December 19, 2010, the petitioner, her husband and minor daughters settled in Dubai. However, on April 4, 2011, Siddique silently moved to Pakistan along with the children and left her alone in Dubai. On April 7, 2011, he sent her divorce papers.

“Jamshid Siddique forcibly removed the minors from her lawful custody and that according to law, she was entitled to custody of her minor daughters,” the petition said.