Justice delayed: Report sought from district judge in family cases

The cases have been pending; no evidence has been recorded in 3 years.

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court’s Inspection Team member Habibullah Amir on Friday sought a report from the Lahore district and sessions judge about a woman seeking custody of her daughters and recovery of dowry articles from her former husband.

The member took notice of a report in the press which suggested that Komal Mughal had been appearing before a guardian court for more than four years in connection with cases seeking custody of her two daughters, recovery of dowry articles and payment of maintenance by her former husband.



The report said the girls had been living with her as her former husband Kashif Bhutta had settled in Canada. However, he moved a petition in the guardian court in 2009 for permanent custody of the girls, Mirat Kashif, 9, and Maha Kashif, 5. The court granted interim custody to the mother but the case is still pending.

Mughal moved the court in 2010 for the recovery of dowry articles, lying with Kashif Bhutta and maintenance for the girls. That case too is pending. No evidence has been recorded in three years although under the law family cases should be decided in six months.

The member directed the district and sessions judge to submit a report in three days explaining the inordinate delay in the cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2013.