PESHAWAR, Nov 5: The Peshawar High Court on Friday summoned a girl who had allegedly been sold in Punjab by a group of women traffickers. A single-judge bench of Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk ordered that the girl , Wagma alias Nadia, should be produced either before the high court on November 22 or before any judicial magistrate in Peshawar for recording her statement.

The court issued the order in a bail petition filed by Allah Rakha, the husband of Wagma, who had allegedly purchased the girl for Rs75,000. Three persons accused of kidnapping her were earlier arrested by the local police.

Two of them were granted bail by the court concerned while the third was still behind the bars. An FIR was registered at Daudzai Police Station, Peshawar, on December 25, 2003, by a woman, Afsara, who reported that she had gone to perform Umra and upon her return she found her daughter missing.

Later on, she learnt that her daughter had been abducted by their neighbours Wajid, Yaqoob and Murad. Finally, she charged Allah Rakha on July 29, claiming that her daughter was sold to him by Murad in Sadiqabad.

Initially, Yaqoob, Wajid and Murad were arrested while Allah Rakha was arrested after he was charged by the complainant. Yousaf Khan Yousafzai appeared for the petitioner and contended that he had not committed any offence. He added that he was not involved in the abduction of the girl and had legally married her. The court inquired about the statement of the abducted girl.

Shahnawaz Khan appearing for the state said that on three occasions the girl had given different statements. He added that first she claimed that she was abducted by the three accused. Later on she even disowned the complainant to be her mother. He added that presently she had been staying in the house of the petitioner. The court ordered production of the girl to record her statement.