April 27, 2007	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 09, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, April 26: The Australian High Commission has again made a request to the Pakistani government for the arrest of an Australian national of Pakistani origin who snatched three children from his wife and fled to Pakistan, it has been learnt.

In a letter written to the ministry of interior, the High Commission, on behalf of the Australian government, has said that Ibrar Hussain Shah still remained free, although a Pakistani court had issued several arrest warrants. “But there is no progress so far,” the letter says.

This is the second letter the Australian High Commission has dispatched to the ministry of interior. In a previous letter, it had requested Pakistan to comply with the decision of the Rawalpindi Bench of Lahore High Court and arrest the accused Ibrar Shah.

Name of the accused along with the three minor children has already been put on the exit control list (ECL) on the directives of the superior court and request from the Australian High Commission.

Ibrar Hussain along with the three children - Syed Abdullah Shah, Syed Mashab Shah and daughter Syeda Hanniyah Shah - was in hiding after the court issued arrest warrants against him. He has refused to hand over the children to their mother Syeda Almas Shah, an Australian citizen.

Since the couple are Australian nationals, the High Commission in Islamabad has also shown active involvement and asked the government of Pakistan that assistance be extended in implementation of the orders of the superior court including warrants of arrest of the respondent and to place his name and the minor children on ECL so that they could not migrate from Pakistan. The High Commission has also forwarded the case proceeding and order sheet to the ministry of foreign affairs in Australia.

Ibrar Hussain belongs to Talagang tehsil and settled in Australia. He married Syeda Almas Shah about 10 years back. The couple stared living in Australia after the marriage. Three children were born out of their wedlock. After some time, Ms Almas came to know that Mr Ibrar had also allegedly two Pakistani and three Australian wives.

“He (Ibrar Hussain) bears bad moral character and is a professional cheat and fraudster. Due to these reasons, differences started between the couple,” said Zulqarnain Kazmi, brother of Ms Almas, while talking to Dawn.

Mr Kazmi said that when Ibrar Hussain came to know that his alleged frauds had been detected and his wrong side got revealed, he took the three children and fled to Pakistan. After three months, Ms Almas also came to Pakistan to secure her children but he refused to let them meet their mother.

Ms Almas moved the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court against her estranged husband requesting she be given custody of her children. Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha issued notice to Ibrar to appear along with the children before the court but he failed to comply with the superior court orders and went into hiding.

The brother of the affected lady alleged that the police in Talagang had not been extending cooperation to arrest the accused and recover the children.

He said the accused had relatives in Talagang, Faisalabad and Risalpur (NWFP) and doubted he might be hiding along with the children in any of these cities.