LHC suspends different orders in custody case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday suspended two different orders of a sessions court that carried arrest warrants and surrendering of passport by a guarantor in a child’s custody matter between

Faisalabad Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar and his Canadian wife.

An additional district and sessions judge had sought appearance of Waseem Ejaz, the guarantor, through arrest warrants and also ordered him to surrender his passport with the court besides ensuring production of the minor.

Ejaz challenged the order before the high court for being unlawful. Representing the petitioner, Advocate Hina Jillani argued that a guardian court had allowed Ms

Mirjam Aberras Lahdeaho, wife of Dogar, to take the minor to Canada and the petitioner deposited a surety on behalf of the mother to meet a requirement to obtain guardianship certificate.

She argued that the sessions court on an appeal of the police officer started proceedings against the petitioner in his capacity as an assurer on the grounds that the minor had been illegally removed from the jurisdiction of the court.

The counsel stated that the guardian court had permitted the mother to remove the child, therefore, no violation could be attributed to the petitioner/assurer.

She asked the court to set aside the impugned orders passed by the sessions court for being without legal justification.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir suspended the impugned orders and issued a notice to the police officer for Jan 18.