Punjab police on Monday recovered a young girl, allegedly employed as a house maid, from television anchor Gharida Farooqi's home in Lahore on the orders of a sessions court.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhry had directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Sundar police to recover the detainee and produce her before the court.

In compliance with the order, the SHO recovered the maid from the anchor’s house and produced her before the court. The judge handed over the girl to her father and disposed of the petition.

Mohammad Munir had moved the court for the recovery of his 15-year-old daughter, who had been employed by the anchorperson at her residence in Lahore's Bahria Town, alleging that the girl was being held captive against her and her family's will.

The petitioner alleged that the anchor had not allowed his daughter to see her family for the last six months and kept her in illegal detention.

Before the recovery was made, sound recordings of three phone calls — allegedly between Farooqi and a woman named Shazia — had circulated widely on social media.

In the recorded exchange, Shazia accused Farooqi of torturing the girl and refusing her an opportunity to meet with her parents. Both allegations were denied strongly by the woman presumed to be Farooqi, who asked for proof of her wrongdoing.