09 June 2004	Wednesday	20 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

HYDERABAD, June 8: The Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench has issued notices to Umerkot TPO and SHO as well as the additional advocate-general on a petition filed by a woman, being harassed for marrying of her own free will after embracing Islam.

Farzana Khaskheli claimed in her constitutional petition that she embraced Islam on April 2 and married Javed Khaskheli in the presence of witnesses Usman Machi and Abdul Latif Dahri.

She swore an affidavit before the Sanghar civil judge and judicial magistrate on April 26 regarding her conversion to Islam and marriage, she added. The petitioner said that her father along with some unidentified men attacked her husband on May 7 and threatened to lodge a kidnapping and Hudood case against him and his relatives unless he divorced his wife.

She said that the Umerkot SHO, on the instigation of some influentials, was conducting raids on the houses of her husband and his relatives and had even arrested some of her in-laws.

She prayed the court to direct the Umerkot TPO and the Mirpurkhas DPO to take action against the attackers and restrain the SHO from harassing her husband and in-laws.

The petitioner also prayed that in case a false case was registered, it should either be expunged or the judicial magistrate should be directed to record her statement and allow her to go wherever she wished.

ARRESTED: The Qasimabad police has arrested Abdul Nabi, who killed his wife, Gulnaz alias Gulzadi, in his house on May 25 following a domestic dispute. TPO (investigations) Anwar Hussain Soomro said here on Tuesday that Abdul Nabi was arrested from Sehrish Nagar.

Citing another case, he said that three accused - Noor Mohammad, Masoom and Abal - were arrested from Karachi for committing a burglary on May 19 and added that stolen gold ornaments were recovered from their possession besides a pistol.