SHEIKHUPURA, March 15: On the direction of the Lahore High Court (LHC), police have registered a case against a man and recovered from his custody his seven-year-old French national son.

Dr Mohammad Ashfaq, a Pakistani national, secretly brought his son to Pakistan from France about nine months ago after his separation from his French wife.

Dr Ashfaq wed French national Piggy Column about nine years ago. They spent seven years together and had a son, Umir. After their separation two years ago, they started quarreling over the custody of their son. They took the issue to a French court, which ruled that Umir would live with his mother 29 days a month and his father only one day a month.

In line with the court ruling, Umir was staying with his father on June 13, 2007, when he illegally brought him to Pakistan. On this, Ms Column approached the French High Commission in Islamabad and filed a petition in the LHC for recovery of her son. The LHC directed Sheikhupura District Police Officer Munir Chishti to take action against Dr Ashfaq, a resident of Sharqpur tehsil, and recover Umir.

In line with the LHC order, the DPO formed a team, which recovered Umir and arrested his father Dr Ashfaq. On Saturday, the Sheikhupura police handed Umir to the local civil court that would hand him to his mother who is reaching Pakistan soon to receive her son. Police official Rao Munir told journalists the FIA was unaware of Umir’s arrival in Pakistan.—Rana Sarwar