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BAHAWALPUR: Noted singer Gulbahar Bano on Friday testified before District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Tariq Javed that she had no problem living with her stepbrother Ayyaz at Khanqah Sharif.
She appeared in court a few days after the Sammasatta police claimed to have recovered her from alleged illegal confinement in her house.
Ms Bano’s real brother Ghulam Farid and Advocate Mohsin Raza filed separate petitions through which they accused Ayyaz of maltreating and torturing her and keeping her in illegal confinement at his place. The petitioners sought recovery of the singer and her production in court to record her statement.
Advocate Raza in his petition also requested the court to form a committee of lawyers to look after Gulbahar Bano, a presidential award winner.
In her statement before the court, the singer denied maltreatment or torture by her stepbrother. She said she had no dispute with Ayyaz and felt comfortable in her house where she had been living for the last 40 years.
D&SJ Chaudhry Tariq Javed told Dawn over cell phone that Gulbahar Bano had given her statement but he had yet to issue orders on the petitions.
Earlier, police said Ms Bano was in trauma and unable to answer any question. Police, a DSP said, were trying to ascertain the circumstances leading to her alleged confinement.
During her protective custody, she told police that she was under treatment for health issues. Police sent her back to the house on Thursday.
PROTEST DEMOS: Two protest demonstrations were held outside the Circuit House on the arrival of Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar after addressing the convocation of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB).
The first demonstration was held by the parents of a deceased matriculation student. The protesters including relatives of the girl demanded that police arrest her killers.
Rabia was allegedly abducted and killed in a flat inside Ahmedpuri Gate here on Oct 11 and despite registration of a murder case against six people, no arrest was made.
Another demonstration was staged by slum dwellers who protested against their eviction from their houses. Among the protesters were women and children who raised slogans against the government and demanded that they be provided shelter.
Published in Dawn, October 27th , 2018
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