A single-judge bench of the Sindh High Court's Hyderabad circuit on Friday allowed Gulnaz Shah — formerly known as Ravita Meghwar — to live with her husband.

According to Advocate Ali Palh, the counsel for the intervener in the case, Justice Panhwar heard Gulnaz Shah, who had converted to Islam from Hinduism and married Nawaz Ali Shah in Samaro this month, in his chamber before passing the judgement.

Justice Panhwar had heard Gulnaz, her father Satram Meghwar's counsels and Palh in an open court before adjourning the matter briefly.

Gulnaz Shah had a day earlier been sent to the Darul Aman shelter by the court after Palh insisted that she be kept in some state institution before the recording of her statement.

Palh had contended that though the Child Marriage Restraint Act is silent over nullity/validity of marriage or otherwise in case an underage girl is married by her parents, a previous case heard by a division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had sent a minor, Anjali, to a shelter on the grounds that she was underage.

Palh said that the bench had held that the law would be frustrated if the minor was allowed to go with her husband. He had also stated that the primary school certificate submitted before the court proves that she was less than 18 years of age and thus could not be married .

Zahoor A Baloch, the lawyer representing the couple, argued that the girl had attained the age of puberty and as per Islamic law, a girl who is either 16 years of age or has reached puberty, is an adult.

Bhagwandas Bheel, the counsel for Meghwar, argued that the girl was under the influence of her husband.

Gulnaz, however, had told the judge on Thursday that she had embraced Islam of her own free will and recited the kalma of her own accord.

Opinion

Editorial

Stuck in the past
Updated 09 Jun, 2023

Stuck in the past

Dar's enduring fixation with the exchange rate suggests that he has learned nothing from past mistakes.
Unequivocal message
09 Jun, 2023

Unequivocal message

AN unmistakably forceful message has been sent out that puts to rest any notion of a house divided. The military top...
Early closure
09 Jun, 2023

Early closure

ON the face of it, closing shops early is a sound idea. Not only would the move help save energy during the stifling...
Qureshi returns
Updated 08 Jun, 2023

Qureshi returns

Powerbrokers fail to grasp that political legitimacy is drawn from public support and can only be contested through the democratic process.
Lawyer’s killing
08 Jun, 2023

Lawyer’s killing

THE shocking murder of Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar on a Quetta thoroughfare on Tuesday raises a number of...
Infinite jest
08 Jun, 2023

Infinite jest

IF this government’s political record were to be described as dark comedy, its economic management would be a...