KARACHI:The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed the Sindh police to recover Arzoo Masih, a reportedly 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married to a 44-year-old man in Karachi.
A SHC bench, headed by Justice KK Agha and comprising Amjad Saheto, heard a petition filed by Raja Masih, father of Arzoo, through his counsel Muhammad Jibran Nasir. During the hearing, the advocate general told the court that police traced the girl but could not recover her.
The petitioner’s counsel requested the court for orders to be issued for recovery of the girl and her medical checkup. He said determining the age of the girl is important. “We will abide by the law. The court is not emotional,” Justice Amjad Sahito. Justice Sahito remarked there is a law; no underage marriage can take place.
“If there is a violation of the law, the law will make its own way,” the court maintained. Justice Sahito said if the girl is recovered first, then a medical order can be issued. The court ordered the police to rescue Arzoo and send her to shelter home. The girl should be produced in court at the next hearing, the court said.
The court issued notices to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh and others for November 5. The court remarked other issues will be reviewed after the girl’s recovery. It may be noted that on October 13, Arzoo, reportedly aged 13, daughter of Raja Masih, , was allegedly abducted by Ali Azhar, a local man, while she was playing outside of her home in Railway Quarters, in the limits of the Preedy police. Arzoo’s parents immediately filed a kidnapping complaint with local police.
Two days later, on October 15, police summoned Arzoo’s parents to the station where they presented the couple with marriage and conversion documents. These documents claimed Arzoo was 18 and that she had converted to Islam and married Azhar willingly.
According to Raja, the kidnapper lived near their house and was a Sindh government employee. He added that Azhar had abducted Arzoo with the help of his brothers, Mohsin and Shariq, and a friend.