Court orders NADRA, FIA to find woman's guardians

The Sindh High Court Circuit Bench Hyderabad, headed by Justice Arbab Ali Hakro, has directed the Director General FIA and Chairman NADRA to use all modern mechanisms to identify and trace the legal guardians of a woman patient at the Sir Cowsjee Jee Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Hyderabad.

She has recovered physically and is cognizant of her surroundings but lost her memory. Doctors have declared her physically and mentally healthy, however, she continues to live in the confinement of the psychiatric institute because there is no one out there in the world to come and take her away, no one that she can recall.

The woman was admitted to the psychiatric institute after being found mentally unstable. According to medical reports submitted on January 3 and 17, she has now fully recovered and is mentally stable, yet remains unable to disclose her identity or family details.

The court noted that despite her recovery, NADRA officials in Hyderabad failed to verify her identity, causing delays in reuniting her with her family. The judgment stressed that the woman is neither an accused nor under trial, and her prolonged confinement due to administrative negligence violates her dignity.

The Sir Cowsjee Jee Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences also known as the Guddu Hospital has many patients abandoned by their families.

The medical superintendent of the institute highlighted that several women patients transferred to Guddu Hospital through Darul Aman and other centers remain confined even after recovery, as lower courts fail to issue release orders.