Newborn caught in custody dispute

Man approaches police after in-laws refuse to hand over child following wife's death

PUNJAB:

A family dispute over the custody of a newborn girl has prompted her father to approach the police after his in-laws allegedly refused to hand over the infant following the death of his wife shortly after childbirth.

Despite repeated attempts to resolve the matter through jirgas, the maternal family allegedly refused to return the baby to her father. The Women Police Station has registered a case and launched raids to recover the child.

According to the police, Muhammad Irfan lodged a complaint stating that he married Anam in 2025. On September 10, 2026, when his wife fell ill, he took her to the Cantonment Board Hospital, where she gave birth to a girl. However, her condition deteriorated following the delivery. Doctors at the hospital performed three surgical procedures but failed to improve her condition before referring her to Holy Family Hospital for further treatment.

Anam remained under treatment for several days before passing away on September 17.

The complainant said he was distressed over his wife's illness and subsequent death when his in-laws allegedly took her body to their residence in Gawalmandi without informing him. When he, accompanied by his family, reached their house and asked his father-in-law, Riaz, to hand over his wife's body for burial, Riaz and his brother allegedly pushed him out of the house.

He further alleged that when he demanded the return of his newborn daughter, Zara Irfan, his in-laws refused to hand her over.

After the Qul ceremony, Irfan again visited his father-in-law's house with relatives. His father-in-law, Muhammad Riaz, mother-in-law, Abida Parveen, Riaz's brother Muhammad Waheed and Waheed's wife, Nazia, were present. Despite requesting the return of his daughter in the presence of witnesses, the family allegedly refused.

The complainant said he subsequently learnt that his in-laws had handed over the baby to a woman identified as Naseem Tariq. However, she and her husband, Tariq, also allegedly refused to return the child despite his requests.

Irfan alleged that Riaz and other family members had kept his daughter in their custody and had not allowed her to meet her paternal grandparents. He requested the police to take legal action against the nominated suspects, recover the infant and hand her over to him.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation.

When contacted, Women Police Station SHO Mufarrah Bukhari said the police had received information that the child was with her maternal aunt. She confirmed that a case had been registered and raids were being conducted to recover the infant. She said the child would be recovered soon and produced before the relevant forum.