Karachi Police on Saturday told the court it would go to Lahore to arrest Dua Zehra’s husband Zaheer as it requested integration of sections pertaining to underage marriage in the case citing a medical report.
Some 33 suspects including eight women were nominated suspects in the case.
A police report confirmed Zaheer’s presence in Karachi before Dua Zehra fled home for an elope marriage.
The police claimed to have concrete evidence of it after it obtained call detail record (CDR) and added that a team would go to Lahore to arrest Dua Zehra’s husband.
Citing the medical report, the police said that Dua Zehra was underage – according to marriage in both Sindh and Punjab provinces – and sought permission from the court for incorporation of sections pertaining to underage marriage in the first information report (FIR).
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on July 7 granted protective bail to Zaheer Ahmed till July 14 – which has expired.
Zaheer’s lawyer told the court that Zaheer was nominated in Dua Zehra’s abduction case registered in Karachi. Zaheer maintained that Dua married him of her free will, and he did not abduct her.
The lawyer said they feared that the police might arrest his client and
requested the court to grant Zaheer protective bail, so they could
approach the relevant court for interim bail.
Dua Zehra had allegedly eloped to Punjab where she had solemnized her
marriage as per the local laws by claiming to be 16 years of age.
However, her parents claimed that she had been kidnapped and brainwashed
into the union and feared that she may be trafficked.
A two-member medical board formed earlier in June had found that Dua
Zehra’s bones were not that of a 14-year-old.
The chief radiologist further suggested that the girl’s age was more
towards 17 years of age. “Bone age is between 16 and 17 years,” read the
certificate.
Based on that report, the Sindh High Court had allowed her to exercise
her free will and leave with whomever she wants. However, the court’s
decision was challenged by Dua Zehra’s father in the Supreme Court which
sent the case back to a trail court.
The trial court then issued directions to constitute a new medical board
after the parents challenged the constitution and conduct of the
previous medical board.
Subsequently, a six-member medical board was formed to conduct a fresh
age determination test for Dua Zehra.
On July 4, the medical board determined that the age of teenager Dua
Zehra is between 15-16 years of age, closer to 15.
