Runaway Afghan couple: Lab officials refuse to collect blood samples

In absence of court official, KMU doctors refuse servicing family.

PESHAWAR: Officials of the Khyber Medical University (KMU) forensic laboratory refused to collect blood samples for DNA testing of the eloped Afghan woman’s alleged first family.

The DNA tests are being conducted to resolve the controversy between the eloped Afghan couple, Maryam and Haiwad, and Abdul Rehman, who alleges he is Maryam’s first husband. Samples of Rehman’s two daughters, Saba and Husna, were also ordered to be collected by the court to determine their parents.

On Monday, Rehman, Maryam, Saba and Husna reached the KMU forensic laboratory but doctors refused to service them in the absence of court officials, especially when the matter was sub judice.

Rehman’s attorney, Ijaz Sabi, told The Express Tribune that the blood samples could not be collected because the family court judge, Kiran Shaukat, was on leave and absent on the occasion. The family will revisit KMU on Tuesday (today) when a court official will be available to accompany them.

The court had earlier accepted Rehman’s application on September 18 and ordered DNA tests to determine the case. However, Maryam expressed reservations over conducting the tests in Pakistan, saying she would not accept the results.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2012.