LHC directs CCPO to recover Canadian-woman’s sons from father’s custody

The Lahore High Court on Monday directed CCPO, Lahore, to ensure recovery of two minor sons of Finish origin-Canadian-woman from the custody of their father, a DIG with highway and motorway police.

Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem Ahmed of the LHC passed the order after police failed to produce the minors before the court despite repeated notices in this regard.

Mirjam Aberras Lahdeaho filed a petition through Advocate Hina Jillani submitting that her husband Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, at present serving as DIG Punjab Highway Patrolling, illegally detained minors –Qasim Dogar(17) and Jaffer Dogar (13)—and had not been allowing her to see her children.

On Monday, the lawyer of DIG Ghulam Mahmood told the court that the petition against him for recovery of the minors was not maintainable as a local court had already declared him as guardian of the children.

However, the judge observed that the factual and legal controversy involved in this petition is to be adjudicated by this court after production of the detained minors before the court and after affording an opportunity of hearing to both the parties.

Hina Jillani, the counsel of the petitioner-lady, contended that Zara, his daughter, resisted and threatened her father of involving the Canadian embassy in case he did not let her go back to Canada. At this, she said, he gave her passport and let he go back to Canada. But, she said, his sons were minor and could not resist.

She said they were also not going to any school. Their father was keeping them in custody of security guards so that they cannot go back to Canada. By misleading the guarding court, he said, Dogar had got himself declared as guarding of the children. She said, in his application for guardianship, he has alleged his wife Ms Mirjam of being Christian and expressed fear that she would spoil his children if they are not given into his custody. She said, she is a Muslim and she was very pained to know about his allegation raised by Dogar. She said she pend 31 years with him and still she is his wife.

Earlier, Justice Ahmad Raza Gillani passed the order for recovery of two minor sons for Thursday. The court would resume hearing on Tuesday (today).

Recovery of another three-year old minor: The LHC on Monday ordered for recovery of a three-year-old child from alleged detention of his father and produce him before court on August 1.

Justice Ch Abdul Aziz passed the order seeking registration of case against minor’s father Tariq Mehmood. Justice Mehmood also sought explanation from the guardian judge as to how the child was taken abroad when the custody matter was pending before a court of law. The court also summoned SSP on next date.

Samra Bibi, kid’s mother, filed the petition through her counsel Advocate Rabiyya Bajwa seeking recovery of the minor child. She argued that being mother of the children she was natural guardian but father after strain relations instead of giving custody to mother shifted the child to some foreign country. She requested the court to order police for recovery of the minor and his production before the court.

Source: The Nation