February 22, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 23, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Feb 21: A victim of childhood marriage who was forced into prostitution was released from the Peshawar central prison on Tuesday. The court of a judicial magistrate accepted her bail bonds and issued the release order.

The court had granted her bail on Saturday but declined to issue the release order on Monday on the grounds that she was charged in another case.

On Tuesday, an application was filed on her behalf by the Voice of Prisoners NGO stating that the court had no authority to keep her in the prison after acceptance of her bail petition.

The application was filed by the chairman of the organisation, Noor Alam Khan, stating that the girl was a victim of ‘inhuman customs’ and was not involved in any crime.

He pointed out that in the case registered in Hassanabdal the girl had not been nominated as an accused. In fact, he added, she was an abducted person.

Mr Alam Khan said the girl needed immediate medical treatment as different parts of her body had been burnt by the owner of the brothel where she was confined as she was not obeying her directives.

It is pertinent to mention that the brothel owner had not been arrested.

The girl, who is about 15 and hails from Mardan, was married to Akber Ali about two years ago. Her husband is also behind bars on the charge of killing her parents.