Freewill knots: Court sends two more girls to shelter home

The girls claim they went with their husbands, while their families claim they were kidnapped

KARACHI: Two girls, who reportedly solemnised freewill marriage, were sent on Tuesday to the Panah Shelter Home by the Sindh High Court (SHC) until their actual age is determined.

A division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, also directed the medical superintendent of the Sindh Government Health Services Hospital to constitute a medical board for determining the age of the girls.

These directives came after proceedings on two petitions filed by the girls - Arbeli and Amina - who approached the court against harassment by the police and for the quashment of alleged false criminal cases against their husbands.

Arbeli said she eloped with Shahnawaz and they solemnised freewill marriage in Karachi against the wishes of her family. She claimed that her family lodged a false case of her kidnapping with an intention to commit rape against Shahnawaz and his relatives. She said the Khairpur A-Section police are harassing them on the basis of false cases.

Amina, the other petitioner, also said that she eloped and married Azizullah out of her own choice. According to the petitioner, her father approached a local jirga in Sanghar, which declared them 'karo-kari' - liable to be killed for honour. She added her father also lodged a false case regarding her abduction with intention to rape against Azizullah and his relatives. The Bhit Shah police are, therefore, harassing them.

Both the petitioners said their families have strong connections with politicians and police officers which enable them to continually harass them.

The court was pleaded to restrain the police from harassing them and to quash the false criminal cases against their husbands.

On February 18, the two judges had restrained the A-Section police and the Bhit Shah police from arresting the petitioners and their husbands in connection with the aforesaid cases.

During Tuesday's proceedings, the cases took a dramatic turn when the attorneys representing the girls' families claimed that both the girls are underage and cases are lodged against their husbands for violating the law prohibiting child marriage.

To resolve the matter, the SHC bench referred both the petitioners to the medical superintendent of the Sindh Government Health Services Hospital and ordered that a medical board be constituted for determining their ages. The superintendent was directed to submit medical reports on or before March 25.

The bench further directed the SHC Registrar to send both the girls to Panah Shelter Home until their ages are determined. Moreover, the in-charge was ordered to produce the girls before the court on the next date of hearing.