SHC orders test to determine Dua Zahra’s actual age

KARACHI:  The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday ordered an ossification test to determine the actual age of Dua Zahra — the 14-year-old girl who had mysteriously gone missing from Karachi in April but later declared that she had run away from her home to marry 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed.

Over one and-half months after Dua Zahra went missing from Karachi, the police on Monday finally produced the teenager and her husband, Zaheer Ahmed, before the Sindh High Court amid tight security.

During the course of the proceedings, the court ordered the investigation officer to get an ossification test done within two days.

Earlier, the advocate general Sindh said they produced Dua Zahra in compliance with the court’s orders.

At this, Justice Ghaffar remarked that the court had set June 10 as the date to resume the hearing of the case and asked the police why they brought the couple today.

“The court had ordered to produce Dua Zahra before it as soon as she is recovered,” replied the advocate general. He maintained that the LHC has also summoned the girl on June 10.

The advocate general apprised the court that Dua Zahra had left the province on her own and tied the knot with a man of her choice in Punjab.

‘Want to go with Zaheer Ahmed’

In her testimony, Dua Zahra said that her age is 18 years. She told the court that she wanted to go with her husband Zaheer Ahmed, adding that she was not kidnapped.

Zahra said that the police took her into its custody from Punjab’s Chishtian.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till June 8.

A day earlier, Dua Zahra and her husband were recovered from the Chishtian area of Bahawalnagar by the Punjab police.

Confirming the report, Anti-Violent Crime Cell SSP Zubair Nazir Sheikh said that Dua Zahra and her husband have been taken into protective custody. The couple was recovered from a lawyer’s house by the CIA police.

Later, the couple was handed over to the Karachi police. According to the police, Zahra was handed over to the women police while her husband, Zaheer Ahmed, was taken into protective custody by the AVCC.

Earlier today, the assistant advocate general Sindh pleaded with the SHC to allow them to produce Zahra before the court and get her statement recorded today. At this, the SHC accepted the plea for an urgent hearing of the case.

Dua Zahra’s parents were also present in the court.

Parents denied meeting with Dua Zahra

Ahead of the court’s proceedings, Mehdi Ali Kazmi and her wife were barred from meeting with their daughter in the courtroom by the police.

The police officials were of the view that a meeting will be arranged between Dua Zahra and her parents if the court allows it.

‘Will hear the case today’

The advocate general Sindh pleaded with the court to resume the hearing of the case as the “matter is of an urgent nature”.

At this, SHC Judge Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar said the court will take up the case after hearing the other scheduled cases.

He maintained that they accepted the plea for an urgent hearing, adding that they would resume the hearing of the case shortly.