The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday rejected the application filed by mother and brother of the husband of Dua Zehra, the girl from Karachi who had contracted love marriage in Punjab, against police harassment and ordered the police to produce the girl in the court, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Rai Khurram Mehmood, counsel for the petitioners, said that the girl named Dua had married Zaheer Ahmad of Punjab of her free will. “And later, in her statement to the court she said that she had married Zaheer and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him,” the counsel said, adding in spite of that the Punjab Police and Sindh Police were harassing the couple and Zaheer’s brother Shabbir Ahmad and mother Noor Muneer. 

When Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh asked him about the whereabouts of Dua, he replied that she was with her husband. 

The judge inquired from the petitioner’s counsel as to why his clients did not produce the girl before the court. “Every time, police start inquiry in the case, you file a petition in the court. The truth of the matter is that you have made a mockery of the courts,” he remarked. 

The lawyer prayed to the court to order the Punjab police to provide protection to the couple as well as their relatives. “If that happens, we will produce Dua in the court,” he assured. 

Justice Sheikh replied that meant that he and his clients knew fully well where the girl was. “Why should we order the police to provide protection to the newlyweds?” he questioned. 

The lawyer then changed his statement and said he had no idea where the girl was.  

When the judge asked him to produce Dua in the court tomorrow (Wednesday, June 1, 2022), he replied that the girl did not want to go to Sindh because she feared for her life. 

Justice Sheikh told the petitioner’s counsel in clear and categorical terms that when the court-ordered, it meant it.   

Reporter: Malik Ashraf