Nikkah registrar, witness remanded

The East District Judicial Magistrate Friday handed over the man who performed the nikah of underage runaway, Dua Zehra, and the witness to police for interrogation.

Both the men were arrested by the Lahore police were handed over to the Karachi police a day earlier. Nikah khwan and witnesses of the involved in the case of abduction of Dua Zehra to the police on a five-day physical remand.

Dua Zehra had hit the headlines when her father had made heartwrenching appeal for her recovery following her mysterious disappearance from their home on the Golden Town of Al Falah Society in Karachi. Days later, she appeared in a video posted on social media stating that she has left home and married the man of her choice.

Mehdi, however, filed an abduction case asserting that Dua Zehra was underage and her nikah was deemed illegal as per Pakistani law.

In due course of investigation, it emerged that the nikah was also fake and the man who performed the nikah and the witness were arrested from Lahore and brought to Karachi.

The case was heard before the court of East Judicial Magistrate in Karachi City Court. Police produced the arrested nikah khwan and witnesses before the court.

Accused Ghulam Mustafa made a significant revelation in the court. The accused said he did not solemnise the nikkah, but his name was used. The court asked Mustafa does he know how to perform the nikah and what are the conditions as per the Shariat and the local law, to which he said yes.

Meanwhile, the court questioned accused Asghar about the role of witness in the marriage. Accused Asghar told the court that he was the witness to the wedding.

The investigation officer said that three more suspects were to be arrested. It is still to be established whether the accused has indeed solemnised the nikkah or not.

The court handed the two suspects to the police on a five-day physical remand. The court sought a progress report from the IO at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2022.