Notice to FIA for facilitating exit of petitioner’s wife, daughters to Norway

ISLAMABAD: A petitioner alleged before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the Royal Norwegian Embassy has played a role in transporting his wife and daughters to Norway and the FIA did not stop the passengers getting on board despite being informed.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Monday issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a contempt of court petition where a petitioner adopted before the court that his Norwegian wife took his two minor daughters out of the country in connivance with the embassy officials and the FIA did not stop her despite the fact that the petitioner had intimated the investigation agency and showed them the court orders.

Legal counsel for the petitioner Barrister Masroor Shah while giving a detailed account of this incident told The News that the Norwegian embassy had filed a habeas corpus petition with the IHC that a Pakistani citizen Bilal Rasheed had detained his Norwegian wife Missra Hosseini at his home in Chak Shehzad, Islamabad.

The Norwegian Embassy had filed this petition on the complaint of Missra Hosseini’s friend in Oslo who told the Norwegian officials that her friend has been kept under detention.

The IHC bench, taking up the Norwegian Embassy’s petition, then issued notices to the husband Bilal Rasheed and his wife Missra Hosseini to appear before the court.

The present petitioner, Bilal Rasheed, has stated before the court that in compliance with court order, both husband and wife appeared and his wife recorded the statement that she was willfully residing here in Pakistan along with her husband.

A senior official of the embassy Sjlia then told the court that the Norwegian embassy needs her statement inside the embassy to fulfill legal requirements of their country. The IHC bench on July 21, 2016 allowed Norwegian Embassy’s plea and directed the Norwegian national of Kurdish descent Missra Hosseini to record her statement inside the embassy.

The present petitioner, Bilal Rasheed, told the IHC that he along with his wife Hosseini went to the embassy for recording of statement. His wife and the Norwegian embassy official Sjlia moved inside the embassy with daughters of the petitioner and he was asked to stay outside. That the petitioner stayed outside the embassy till late but no one came out and he then asked one of the security guards about this who told that no one was there inside the embassy. That on the same day at about 11:00pm, it came into the knowledge of the petitioner that his wife in connivance with the embassy officials moved to the airport. The petitioner then rushed to the airport and also told FIA officials while showing them orders of the court where the court only directed Hosseini to record her statement and did not pass any order regarding interim custody or removal of his daughters from Pakistan.

However, the petitioner Bilal Rasheed remained unsuccessful in stopping his wife and daughters leaving for Norway.The petitioner contended that the respondents have committed gross contempt of this honourable court and were  liable to be punished in accordance with the law. The petitioner prayed to the court to initiate criminal proceedings against the respondents and order for retrieval of his daughters.The petitioner has nominated senior official of Norwegian embassy Sjlia, Missra Hosseini and Muhammad Amlish, Director General (DG), FIA, as respondents.