In the high-profile case involving the alleged kidnapping of Dua Zahra, the adolescent who inexplicably vanished from Karachi in April but was later said to have fled her family to marry 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed, the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday reserved its decision.
The case was heard by a two-person SHC bench under the direction of Justice Iqbal Kalhoro.
Mehdi Kazmi, Dua Zahra’s father, filed a lawsuit accusing Zaheer of taking the daughter from her home in Karachi’s Alfalah neighbourhood. At the beginning of the hearing, Zaheer was shown in court. Zaheer had received a notification from the SHC summoning him to court.
Justice Kalhoro said during the hearing that Dua Zahra must be taken to Karachi so that the case can be heard there since she vanished from this city.
“There are shelter homes in Karachi as well where security arrangements will be made. There will be no threat to the girl in Karachi,” the judge remarked.
He inquired if Zaheer’s attorney opposed Dua being transferred to Karachi. The girl cannot be forced to move to Karachi or meet anyone if she doesn’t want to, the attorney responded.
“Even the court cannot tell the girl to meet anyone,” he said.
The court then stated that because Dua Zahra had been declared as a minor, her statements had no legal value. However, it noted that no order was being obtained to place the girl in her parents’ custody.
Meanwhile, the lawyers representing Sindh and the federal governments also preferred shifting Dua Zahra to Karachi.
The court then said it would announce its decision about Kazmi’s plea later in the day.