KARACHI: A special gender-based violence court has issued non-bailable warrant for arrest of six suspects absconding in a case pertaining to the alleged abduction of a teenage girl.

Sixteen people have been charged with kidnapping the 15-year-old victim from Karachi and solemnising her illegal child marriage in Punjab in April this year.

Judge Ilyas of the Special Gender-Based Violence Court (East), who recently took up the matter, directed the investigating officer to arrest the absconders – Noor Muneer, Muneer Hussain Lughmani, Muhammad Waseem, Khurram Mehmood, Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Umar – and produce them in court on the next date.

The alleged prime suspect, 18-year-old Muhammad Zaheer, his brother Muhammad Shabbir, local cleric Hafiz Ghulam Mustafa, along with seven others have been charged with kidnapping the minor, trafficking her to Punjab and solemnising her underage marriage.

A day ago, the judge had accepted the final charge sheet in the case against the 16 suspects.

Medical board formed

A medical board was on Wednesday formed to conduct the medico-legal examination of the underage.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that a two-member board had been constituted for examination of the victim. Medico-legal Officer Dr Sidra Tariq will head the board.

The board has called the victim girl on Thursday morning for medico-legal examination.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2022