Police restrained from making arrests in free-will marriage case

The Sindh High Court on Monday restrained police from arresting the husband and in-laws of a woman who said her family registered a false kidnapping case after her free-will marriage with a man named Afzal.

The order came on a petition filed by Uzma against the registration of a criminal case against her spouse and in-laws by the Steel town police. The petitioner said she married Afzal with consent and she was not abducted or forcibly married. She said her family was furious at her for the marriage and therefore they registered a false kidnapping case against her spouse and in-laws.

She sought the protection for her spouse and in-laws along with a restraining order against harassment and arrest by police. The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Abdul Maalik Gaddi, after hearing the case directed the investigation officer to record the statement of thepetitioner and submit it to the relevant judicial magistrate for an appropriate order in the case. The court also restrained police from arresting any person nominated in the FIR, or harassing the family. Instead, police were ordered to provide protection to the family.

Ex-PIA director

The SHC issued notices to the interior ministry, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and others on a petition of a former Pakistan International Airlines director against the placement of his name on the exit control list (ECL).

Petitioner Syed Ghulam Qadir Shah Jamote said NAB issued a call-up notice for a fake accounts case pertained to an illegal amalgamation of two amenity plots in Karachi’s Clifton area.

He said he replied to NAB that he had not any connection with the Galaxy Construction, however, still his name was placed on ECL. He requested the court to direct the ministry of interior and others to remove his name from ECL and allow him to travel abroad without any restriction. The court, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notice to the federal law officer, the ministry of interior and others and called their comments on August 6.