PESHAWAR, April 22: A famous Pushto singer, Ms Shabnum, was handed over to her husband by a local court after she was recovered from illegal confinement of her brothers.

Ms Shabnum stated that she had contracted marriage with her free will. She feared that she would be killed by her brothers, therefore, they should be made bound not to harm her.

She said that she was kept in wrongful confinement by her brothers who had been earning money through her art and were not allowing her to go to her husband Salim Haider, who is a musician and son of a prominent Pushto musician Master Ali Haider.

Some lady constables and officials of Shah Qabool police station on Saturday raided the residence of Aftab, brother of Shabnum, and recovered her.

The court of judicial magistrate Ziaur Rehman accepted an application filed by advocate Usman Khan Tarlandi under section 100 of the Criminal Procedure Code, who alleged that the girl had been kept in wrongful confinement. Under above section the magistrate is empowered to issue search warrant for recovery of a detained person and his or her production before the court.

Ms Shabnum had contracted court marriage with Salim Haider in 2004. Her brothers had told her in-laws that they would arrange a proper “rukhsathi” for her. However, later on they declined to arrange her rukhsathi. During the controversy her brothers had also fired at Salim Haider and despite various jirgas they were not willing to allow her to join her husband.

The girl somehow contacted Advocate Usman Khan Tarlandi and requested him to pursue her case. He filed an application and argued that Shabnum was an adult and the law and religion empowered her to choose her life partner. The magistrate issued a search warrant on April 20.

After police recovered her she was produced before the court. She recorded her statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Shabnum said that her brothers used to lock her in the house if they wanted to go somewhere. She also said that they had been taking her to musical functions and recording cassettes and CDs and were earning money through her. “As she has been earning for them, so they were against her marriage,” Shabnum said.

She requested the court to provide her protection as she fears that her brothers could retaliate and may harm her.

The court directed Mr Tarlandi to file another application for getting bonds of good conduct from Ms Shabnum’s brothers so that they could not harm her.