June 29, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 13, 1428

LARKANA, June 28: The Larkana circuit bench of the Sindh High Court has ordered the taluka police officer of Kashmore to recover and produce in court on July 11 Ms Kazbano, 14, and five-year-old Baby Asia, who the petitioner claimed, were forcibly snatched and married under duress.

The petitioner, Hafiz Abdul Qadir Golo, who is father of Ms Kazbano and grandfather of Baby Asia, told the court on Wednesday that the brothers of his daughters-in-law, Hafeez Golo and Abdul Ahad Golo, had demanded the hands of Ms Kazbano and Baby Asia, years after the marriage of his sons, Abdullah and Abdul Salam.

But he refused on ground that the girls were too young for marriage, he said. Baby Asis is daughter of Abdul Salam.

They took the refusal as an insult to their honour and sought help from the community’s chieftains who forced him to wed his daughter, Ms Kazbano, to Hafeez a few day ago, he said and added that even after nikah she was still living with him.

A few days ago Mr Hafeez took away Ms Kazbano claiming her to be his wife while Baby Asia was already snatched eight months ago with the help of community chieftains from his house.

They claimed the child was Abdul Ahad’s wife and detained her in their house, he said.

The petitioner prayed the court direct the District Police Officer to get both the girls released from the illegal detention and Mr Justice Gulzar Ahmed directed the TPO to produce the girls in court on July 11, the petitioner’s advocate said.