LHC orders recovery of Vani girl

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has directed the police to recover a married girl allegedly abducted by tribesmen of Darra Adam Khel for Vani to settle a dispute of murder committed by security guard of her father.

Amanat Ali Shaheen, grandfather of alleged abducted girl namely Saman Raza, filed a habeas corpus petition and listed inspector general police Punjab, station house officers of Sanda and Kunjah Gujrat police stations as parties.

The petitioner’s counsel told the court that many years ago a security guard deputed at the filling station of abducted girl’s father killed a man of the tribesman in 2008. He pointed out that the abducted girl had no connection with her father since when he divorced her mother and settled in United Kingdom after marrying another woman.

The counsel said a couple of days ago five tribesmen barged into the Sanda house of the petitioner and took the girl with them. He said the abductors before leaving the house told the petitioner that they were taking the girl with them to fulfill Vani decision made by their local tribal elders.

He said the petitioner recognised three of the kidnappers as he had an interaction with them during a dispute resolution process with the tribal leaders regarding the murder.He contended that the girl was still in the illegal custody of the respondents who reportedly kept her in village Kunjah of Gujrat from where she would be transported to Darra Adam Khel. The lawyer requested the court to order the police to recover the girl from the illegal custody of the tribesmen and produce her before the court. Justice Farooq Haider directed the SHO Kunjah police station to recover the girl and produce her on May 13.