LHC reprimands DSP and SHO for failing to recover warden's wife

DPO says he will recover the girl by Friday. Couple fear for their lives.

LAHORE: Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) City Circle Okara and a Station House Officer (SHO) were made to sit in a courtroom for a few hours on Tuesday by Lahore High Court's (LHC) Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu, after they informed him that they  had failed to recover a traffic warden's wife.

Earlier a traffic warden, Humayun Shahzad had filed a habeas corpus petition for his the recovery of his wife, Maryam Lashari.

Justice Sidhu was irked by the officers' failure to recover Maryam and ordered them not to leave the courtroom and summoned the District Police Officer (DPO) Okara.

Before adjourning the hearing, the judge remarked that while Express News had aired the girl’s telephonic interview, the police was making lame excuses.

After a few hours, the DPO arrived and requested time till Friday to recover and produce Maryam in court, after which the judge adjourned the hearing till November 18 and allowed the police officers to leave.

The petitioner through his counsel Asghar Ali Gill pleaded that he and Maryam got married against the will of her family three years ago and recently her family had agreed to send her back with him when she went to visit them. He said they backed out of their promise and detained her in an unknown location instead.

Gill said the girl's brother Dr Usman Lashari, sister Dr Amina Lashari and his brother-in-law, Hassan Farooq Watto tortured and forced her to divorce Shahzad.

Shahzad pointed out that his and Maryam's life were in danger as he was receiving death threats from her family. He said he had no contact with her for five days.