Magistrate bars meetings with Dua Zahra without court permission

A judicial magistrate said on Wednesday a shelter home is an appropriate place for Dua Zahra’s stay until her fate is decided.

District East Judicial Magistrate Aftab Ahmed Bughio directed a child protection officer to ensure that no person is allowed to meet the teenage girl without prior permission of the court.

Zahra was brought to the court from a shelter home for destitute and orphan children amid tight security. A child protection officer, the investigating officer and a number of cops escorted her to the court and back to the shelter home.

During her appearance, nobody except the lawyers representing the parties and state prosecutor was allowed in the courtroom.

A day ago, the magistrate had allowed an application filed by Zaheer Ahmed, Zahra’s purported husband, under Section 17(2) of the Sindh Child Protection Authority (Amendment) Act 2021 and Section 3 of the Juvenile Justice System Act 2018, seeking directives for the authorities concerned to produce her before the court.

The court had directed the IO to produce the girl through a child protection officer and ensure that no person from either side would get a chance to meet her, nor any person other than the lawyers representing the parties would be allowed in the courtroom.

When asked, Zahra expressed satisfaction with the facilities and environment she was being provided at the shelter home, the lawyers told The News.

Magistrate Bughio said the purpose of the girl’s production was to safeguard her rights till the commencement of the trial and to decide a better place for her stay until the case was decided.

The counsel for Zaheer Ahmed argued that the girl be allowed to record her statement. The magistrate, however, said it had already been cleared that today she was not produced in the court for recording a statement in the case, but the purpose of the production was just to ensure the protection of her rights.

The lawyers had no reservations when the court asked them if they were satisfied with the custody of the girl entrusted to the shelter home.

The magistrate opined that the shelter home was an appropriate place for keeping the girl during the period of the trial or till further orders. He sent the girl back to the shelter home and ordered that Zahra should not be shifted unless written orders were issued by this court or any other court of the competent jurisdiction.