KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take measures against any attempt to transfer Dua Zehra aboard.
The court had issued a show-cause notice to acting IG Sindh over the delay in recovering Dua Zehra and directed them to produce her during today’s hearing.
At the outset of the hearing, newly-appointed IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon informed the court that he has taken charge of office yesterday and significant progress has been made in the case.
The presiding judge inquired about the failure to present the teenager in court to which he was informed that 16 suspects were arrested in this regard.
Justice Iqbal Kulhoro remarked that the case seems a human trafficking case and made it clear that the court wants the girl to present her statement before the court. “The hearing to be continued till the girl will be presented in the court,” he added.
The police chief assured the court that no stone would be left unturned in locating the girl and he would strive hard to present her before the court.
After the police’s failure to produce the teenage girl, the court issued directives to DG FIA to monitor border areas in order to avoid any attempt to transfer the girl abroad.
The court also directed NADRA and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) national identity cards (NICs) and bank accounts of the nominated suspects.
The court withdrew the show-cause notice to acting IG Kamran Fazal after he was replaced by Ghulam Nabi Memon and directed the police to present the girl in the next hearing on June 10.
Dua Zehra’s father Mehdi Kazmi also pleaded with the court that the family has hopes only with SHC and needs support. “We have been worried for a long, please do something in this regard,” the distressed father added.
Dua Zehra went missing from Karachi in April later to be found married to Lahore’s resident Zaheer Ahmed. The couple claimed to have tied the knot being 18-year-old, however, the girl’s family maintained that the Dua’s age is 14.