Recover child or face consequences, PHC tells police

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday directed the National Database and Registration Authority to block the identity card of the accused father and ordered the Swabi police to recover a four-year-old child or face consequences.

The directions were issued by a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim in a writ petition of Maryam Taj filed for the recovery of her four-year-old son Adam Iqbal.

Lawyers Sana Majeed and Imran appeared on behalf of petitioner while Additional Director (legal) Abdur Rahman Afridi represented the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Ajab Khan Durrani, the station house officer of the Kalu Khan Police Station, also appeared in the writ petition.

During the course of hearing, the court was told that the petitioner Maryam Taj of Rawalpindi had contracted marriage with accused Abid Iqbal of Swabi in 2017 and had a four-year-old son Adam Iqbal.

The lawyers said that the accused snatched the child from his wife and took him to Swabi.They argued that in the previous hearing the court had issued the short order and directed the district police officer, Swabi, and the station house officer of the Kalu Khan Police Station to recover the child and produce him in the court at the next hearing.

However, they said that the child had not been recovered by the police so far.SHO Ajab Durrani said that they along with bailiff conducted raids on various places but could not recover the child.

To this, the petitioner informed the bench that the accused was still staying in Swabi and he had contracted a second marriage some three days ago.FIA Additional Director (legal) Abdur Rahman Afridi said that the Agency had stop listed the names of Abid Iqbal and Adam Iqbal in the light of PHC directives and they now cannot travel abroad.