ISLAMABAD: A sessions court on Tuesday sent twenty-six year old Uzma Quyyum, who is allegedly detained at Jamia Hafsa, the women’s seminary at Lal Masjid, to Darul Aman (women’s shelter). She will be produced before the court in one week when her final statement will be recorded.

High Court advocate Mohammad Haider Imtiaz who is representing Uzma Quyyum’s father told Dawn that the hearing began at around 10:15am. As soon as the hearing began, Uzma told the sessions judge Nazir Ahmed Gujana that she wanted to talk to him in private.

Also read: Lal Masjid ‘detainee’ refuses to return to her parents

“The judge ordered Uzma’s family, lawyers and the men and women from Jamia Hafsa to leave the courtroom,” Haider Imtiaz said.

“Fifteen minutes later, the judge called us inside and said that he will hear the case as soon as the day’s cause list was exhausted,” he said.

Advocate Haider Imtiaz said that at 12:30pm, the judge decided to resume the hearing.

He asked Uzma about her plans, to which she responded that she has devoted her life to Islam and does not want to return home to her family.

“The judge tried to convince Uzma to return to her family and said that she should serve her parents because Islam teaches us to do so,” he said.

Her statement will be recorded in court in one week

Mr Quyyum, Uzma’s father, told the court that he will not force Uzma to marry her fiancé and will not have any objection if she chooses to marry someone else.

Uzma said that she does not have a problem with her parents or any complaints against them.

Her only wish is to serve Islam which is why she thinks it’s best if she does not live with her family.

“There was a decision of the Lahore High Court in which a girl was not allowed to go with her husband because she failed to produce a certificate of marriage,” he said.

“The court ordered for the girl to be taken to the Darul Aman in Rawalpindi and her statement will be recorded on January 27. During those seven days, the parents can meet her,” the lawyer added.

On December 29, 2014 Sheikh Mohammad filed an application with the Human Rights Cell (HRC) of Supreme Court, alleging that his daughter is being kept at the seminary against her will for the last seven months.

He said his daughter had been taken away by Umme Hassan, the wife of cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, from the seminary Jamia Binaat-i-Ayesha in Rawalpindi where she was a student.

Umme Hassan stated that the girl was not willing to live with her family and that Uzma does not wish to marry her fiancé Muhammad Imran with whom her parents have arranged a marriage.

The Supreme Court ordered sessions judge Nazir Ahmad Gujana to investigate the matter and submit a report.

Published in Dawn January 21st , 2015

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