LAHORE, Dec 12 (APP): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought replies from the interior ministry, foreign affairs ministry, National Registration and Database Authority, Federal Investigation Agency and others for Dec 20 on a petition against shifting of a five-year-old British girl to Pakistan.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi passed the orders on a petition, filed by Syed Mudassar Ali Shah, a Pakistani-British national, said a written order released, here on Monday.
The petitioner’s counsel argued before the court that in 2015, his client married Asia Zohra in England, and their daughter, Emani Zohra, was born in 2017. However, three months after the birth of the girl, the marriage ended in divorce, in July 2017, he added. He submitted that both parents had dual nationality whereas their daughter was only a British national.
He submitted that after divorce, a case was filed in a British court for custody of the child, and the court restrained shifting of the girl child to any other country.
He submitted that in October 2022, former wife of his client brought the girl to Pakistan in violation of the British court directions. He submitted that as per Pakistan-British Judicial Protocol about the children, the court was duty bound to send back the girl to Britain. He pleaded with the court to direct the relevant institutions to locate the girl and produce her in the court. He also pleaded with the court to issue directions for repatriation of the girl to Britain in the light of the British court directions.
The court, after hearing the arguments, issued notices to the respondents and sought reply by Dec 20. The court observed that shifting of the child without permission from the British court and other important points had been raised through the petition and it needed consideration.
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