Court allows police to move Dua to Karachi

A judicial magistrate of Lahore on Saturday allowed Sindh Police to move Dua Zehra, the teenager who married on her free will, to Karachi in order to produce her in the city’s trial court.

“Police Inspector Muhammad Ali along with Aziza Sultana are allowed to take the custody of Dua Zehra from shelter home to produce her before learned trial court for direction to be passed for her lodgement in shelter home, Karachi or any appropriate order as the case may be,” read the order released by Magistrate Rizwan Ahmad of Lahore’s district court.

The court noted that the Karachi inspector had earlier submitted an application to give him the girl’s custody in pursuance of the direction passed by judicial magistrate, Karachi East in this regard.

It also noted that the divisional bench of Sindh High Court had earlier passed a verdict about the teenager’s shifting from Darul Aman, Lahore to Darul Aman, Karachi. The judicial magistrate maintained that the officers were responsible for the safe custody of the teenager. The court also barred any meetings with Dua from either side until she was produced before the Karachi magistrate.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2022.