A meeting of the medical board was held to determine the age of Dua Zehra of Karachi who got married of her choice.
Police, following the court orders, shifted Dua Zehra from Lahore to Sindh Services Hospital, Karachi, under tight security and presented her before the medical board.
The Sindh Health Department had constituted a ten-member medical board comprising specialist doctors. The board is headed by Principal Dow Medical College, Professor Dr. Saba Sohail.
Sources said that, X-ray of bones and teeth, blood test, physical examination and other tests have been completed to determine the age of Dua Zehra. Gynecologists also examined Dua Zehra.
After receiving the reports, the medical board will determine the age of Dua Zehra and submit its final report to the Sindh Health Department, which will be presented in the court.
Dua Zehra's parents and lawyer were also present at the Services Hospital. The parents were seemed optimistic on the occasion.
The parents said that the police did not allow them to meet their daughter but they are sure that the age of Dua in the report will be the same as in her documents because the reality is the same.
The lawyer of Dua Zehra's parents said that first of all, according to your information, the main accused in this case, Zaheer Ahmed, is present in Karachi, now in the BCC office.
The counsel by raising question said that how is it possible that the accused so comfortable without bail when he is under investigation? Why is he being favoured? The High Court has not given a final verdict.
He went on to say, final report will be issued on Monday and the medical documents would not precede the NADRA documents as per law. In criminal cases, NADRA documents are given priority. Because the High Court has decided that she can go anywhere, we need to challenge it so that we can go back to file for her custody case.
He said that NADRA documents are authentic. Dua is 14 years old.
The lawyer said. "We think for some reason Dua is following someone else's instructions.".
He added that proceedings have been stayed pending on the IO's application till the report from the medical board. It is a shame for the IG of the province that an IO is repeatedly giving the final opinion.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2022.
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