PHC bails Russian woman accused of theft by estranged husband

Woman’s counsel says husband made allegations when she moved court for divorce.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has granted bail before arrest to a Russian woman who was charged of theft in Charsadda and ordered police to provide her maximum security.

The woman’s counsel, Atiqur Rehman, told the court on Monday that Christina Petrochinkova, who was rechristened as Parveen after she embraced Islam, married Charsadda resident Ikramullah in Thailand in 2005. On April 13, 2005, Ikramullah brought Parveen to Pakistan and she obtained Pakistani nationality.

Eventually, Rehman said, the couple drifted apart due to domestic disputes and Parveen filed for divorce in a family court in Charsadda. “Ikramullah accused Parveen of stealing Rs1.2 million in cash and 360 grams of gold. He also had an FIR registered,” he said.

Rehman said that since then, Ikramullah has sent messages to Parveen threatening her with death and has confiscated her computerised national identity card and passport.

PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan then instructed the director general of the National Database and Registration Authority to issue Parveen a new card within seven days and also ordered a member of the PHC’s inspection team to monitor Parveen’s divorce case.