‘Abduction, child marriage’: Another Dua Zehra-like case reported in Sindh
One more case of alleged abduction and underage marriage has emerged in Sindh as Bakhtawar Fatima from Karachi married Shahzad Ali Khaskheli after going disappeared from her home.
KARACHI: One more case of alleged abduction and underage marriage has emerged in Sindh as Bakhtawar Fatima from Karachi married Shahzad Ali Khaskheli after going disappeared from her home.
Provincial Minister of Sindh Women’s Development Department, Shela Raza, has handed over the case of the recovery of the kidnapped girl Bakhtawar Fatima from Karachi to the senior lawyer and chairman of the Pakistan Legal United Society (PLUS), Altaf Khoso.
After the lawyer argued in the court, the trial court rejected the investigation report of the Clifton police station regarding the kidnapped 14-year-old Bakhtawar Fatima and ordered him to re-investigate the case properly.
Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate number 5 Karachi South, Mazhar Ali Bakhtawar, issued an order for the verification of Nadra’s B form and birth certificate and other documents regarding the age of Fatima.
Major progress made on Dua Zehra case
According to the parents, 14-year-old Bakhtawar Fatima was abducted on March 16, 2022, by Shahzad Ali Khaskhali, Farida Khaskhali, Ayaz Khaskhali, while the facilitators included Muhammad Afzal, Aslam Wold Pyaro and Ali Nawaz. Bakhtawar Fatima’s case is being prosecuted by the PLUS chairman Advocate Altaf Khoso.
As a result of Altaf Khosi’s arguments during the proceedings, the former inspector general (IG) and other police officers were removed from their posts by the government on the order of the Sindh High Court.
Altaf Khoso said that Bakhtawar Fatima is 14 years old and a few months old and there are many mistakes and flaws in the investigation conducted by IO.
The judicial magistrate has rejected the report of expulsion from the class.
Mental, physical torture: Dua Zehra’s uncle rejects her allegations
On the other hand, before the trial court’s writ IO said in its order that the age of Bakhtawar Fatima is 14 years old in the FIR, whereas, the non-implementation of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act in relation to children under 18 years of age means that a proper investigation has not been conducted.
In this connection, the court has also ordered the verification of her birth certificate of Nadra, along with the verification of the marriage certificate and free will.
The IO has been ordered to submit the investigation report to the Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate of the Trial Court of Karachi South 7 within 10 days.
Khoso said that Fatima will be returned to her parents soon, whereas, the kidnapper Shahzad Ali and other facilitators will go to jail soon. He said that Bakhtawar Fatima along with Dua Zehra, Nimra Kazmi and many other such cases, until their recovery and return to their parents, PLUS is fighting in various courts.
He said that in this regard, Abdul Sattar Eddy’s Eddy administration and the Sindh government, especially the Minister of Women’s Development, Shela Raza, are working with other social institutions that are working for the welfare of children and women.
