Messy divorce: Court tells ‘wronged’ Russian woman to approach embassy in Islamabad

Parveen, who alleges her husband of hiding her passport, claims NADRA hasn’t issued her a Pakistan Origin Card.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has directed a Russian woman, implicated in a theft case by her estranged Pakistani husband, to approach the Russian embassy in Islamabad in order to return to her country.

Christina Petrochinkova, who was renamed 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.

According to Parveen’s lawyer, the couple drifted apart due to domestic disputes and Parveen filed for divorce in a family court in Charsadda. Ikramullah then accused Parveen of stealing Rs1.2 million in cash and 360 grams of gold. He also had an FIR registered against her. Parveen approached the PHC for a pre-arrest bail and requested that an identity card be issued to her as her card had expired. The court granted her bail before arrest.

In the last hearing, Parveen told the court that the National Database and Registration Authority had refused to her a Pakistan Origin Card (POC), upon which PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan issued a show-cause notice to the Nadra director general asking him to explain why Parveen was refused the POC.

In Monday’s hearing, the Nadra DG appeared before the court and said that Parveen had been issued the POC. “The delay in issuance was due to a ban imposed on the POC from the interior ministry.”

Parveen alleged that Ikramullah had taken her passport and two cell phones away.

“Have you approached the Russian embassy in Islamabad?” the CJ asked.

“I did but my embassy also refused to help me, saying I should go to Moscow for a new passport,” she replied. “The embassy categorically stated that I should file an application but it will also take two months. When I don’t have my passport, how can I fly to Moscow?”

“Why is your embassy not coming to your rescue?” the CJ asked.

The chief justice also instructed police investigators to quicken their probe when police said that a report, lodged by Ikramullah at the Margalla Police Station in Islamabad, has been received and an inquiry has been started.

The case was then adjourned till April 30.