KARACHI, Feb 8: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday put the provincial government, the home department, the Karachi district coordination officer and the provincial police chief on notice on a petition seeking shelter, education and basic necessities to 32,500 street children in Karachi. A division bench comprising Justices Gulzar Ahmed and Imam Bux Baloch put off the hearing to March 1.

The petition was filed by Iqbal Kazmi, a representative of the Human Rights Commission for South Asia, who submitted in the petition that as many as 32,500 street children in the city had been forced to become sex workers, beggars or do menial jobs.

Referring to a survey conducted by his organisation, he stated that 17,000 children had trickled into the metropolis from different parts of the country.

The petitioner submitted that 2,800 children were being forced to earn their living as sex workers, while over 12,000 children were involved in begging. Besides, he said, over 11,530 children were working in different restaurants; 1,685 at different workshops and garages; and 9,860 were working at different industrial units and fish harbour.

The petitioner stated in the petition that 7,840 children were involved in crimes and their cases were pending in different trial courts, while only 17 children were presently kept at Remand Home, set up especially for underage prisoners. He submitted that the government was responsible for provision of education and shelter to the street children but unfortunately despite the presence of several laws for child safety no step was being taken to provide basic facilities to street children.

He stated that the social welfare department, which was responsible for the welfare of the children, was not performing its duties despite allocation of Rs119.450 million budget for the purpose.

He prayed to the court to declare that the provincial government was the guardian of all shelter-less children in the province, including Karachi, and direct the government to ensure provision of shelter, education and basic facilities to them.

He also prayed to the court to direct the government to set up hostels, training workshops and borstal for the shelter-less and juvenile undertrial prisoners.

Freewill couple case

The same bench granted bail to two relatives of a man who along with them was booked for kidnapping a woman who had married him without the consent of her family.

Petitioners Gul Hasan Khaskheli and Ghulam Mohammed Dasti, represented by Advocate Muneer Ahmed Malik, impleaded the home secretary, the SP (Investigation), Thatta, the station investigation officer of the Jhok Shareef police station and the woman's relatives — Ameer Ali, Sikandar Ali, Hamid, Manzoor and Bashir — as respondents.

They submitted that Sehrish alias Khalida, daughter of Mohammed Ali Shoro, married petitioner Khaskheli's stepbrother Punhoon Khaskheli, an army personnel, on Dec 12, 2010 at Matli after executing an affidavit of freewill before the judicial magistrate, Matli.

The petitioners submitted that the freewill couple left the province due to threat to their lives and settled in Bahawalpur. They said the woman's uncles and other relatives called a jirga where they declared the couple liable to be killed in the name of honour.

They stated that Sehrish also filed a constitutional petition at the Bahawalpur circuit bench of the Lahore High Court against the SHO of the Chistian police station and others, stating that her parents had died in a road traffic accident during her childhood and her uncles had occupied more than 10 acres left by her father in Mirpur Bathoro.

The petitioner stated that Sehrish's uncles wanted her to marry an aged man to grab her land as she was the sole legal heir of her father's property.

They said following the marriage of the freewill couple, a false FIR was registered against them and others for kidnapping Sehrish.

The petitioner stated that the police arrested their three relatives — Hashim, Uris and Ramzan — who were in the district jail, Thatta.

They prayed to the court to direct the respondents not to harass and arrest them.

The petitioners also prayed to the court to quash the kidnapping case against them.

An identical petition was filed by the freewill couple seeking cancellation of the kidnapping case against Punhoon Khaskheli.

The bench disposed of both the petitions directing the investigation officer of the case to record the statement of Sehrish at the office of the Advocate General and submit the final report with the area magistrate within one week.

“The accused who have been taken in custody by the police are granted bail on their furnishing personal bond with the Nazir of this court in the sum of Rs10,000 [each] until the Illaqa Magistrate passed the order,” the order said.

Arrest of vessel ordered

Justice Muhammad Tasnim of the SHC directed the Maritime Security Agency to arrest MV NAM-A-08 in an admiralty suit filed by a US-based ship fuel supplier.

The vessel was fuelled in August 2008 and was billed for $147,700. However the vessel/her owners failed to clear such billed amount.

The plaintiff, represented by Advocate Omair Nisar, prayed for the arrest and auction of the vessel in case the defendant vessel and her owners fail to pay their dues. The case was adjourned till Feb 9.