KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday referred the matter of teenage Nimra Kazmi, who had gone missing from Karachi and resurfaced in Punjab, to the trial court after a medical report said she was between 17 and 18 years of age.

On the last hearing, the SHC had asked the provincial authorities to conduct a medical examination of Nimra to determine her age as the girl, who was taken in protective custody from Punjab and produced before SHC, said that she was adult and had contracted marriage of her own free will while lawyer for the petitioner said she was an underage person.

On Thursday, the investigating officer of the case placed the medical report before a two-judge bench headed by Justice Moha­mmad Iqbal Kalhoro.

The IO submitted that in view of the medical report and the investigation conducted so far, he was going to file a report before the trial court.

“Insofar as ancillary issues raised by the parties regarding custody of Mst. Nimra or setting her free, etc. we deem it proper to refer these issue to the trial court for a decision in accordance with law as this petition is only in nature of habeas corpus: to produce Mst. Nimra before the court, which has been done,” the bench in its order said.

It further said the girl stated that she contracted marriage with Najeeb Shahrukh out of her own free will and had not been abducted by him.

While disposing of the petition, the bench sent the girl back to a shelter home and said that there would be no restriction for her parents or husband or relative to meet her.

It also asked the trial court to decide the issue of her custody or setting her free, etc, in the light of material after affording opportunity to both sides within a reasonable time preferably in a month.

The mother of the girl had petitioned the SHC stating that Nimra went missing on April 20 from her house in Saudabad and a case about her kidnapping was lodged at area police station.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2022