LAHORE, Sept 8: The Lahore High Court on Friday restrained the Punjab police from arresting and repatriating Scottish girl Misbah Iram Rana (Molly Campbell) to Glasgow till the guardian court in Lahore decides the case of custody.

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar directed the police not to detain Misbah without first informing the guardian court and obtaining its permission for the custody of the girl. No action should be taken against the teenager before the guardian court, which was seized of the matter regarding custody and guardianship, gave a decision in final disposal of the case, the court instructed the inspector-general of Punjab police.

The court took strong exception to visit, as stated by Advocate Dr A. Basit, the counsel of the girl’s elder sister and father, by the SHO Lytton Road and other police officers to the home of the girl’s father in Chauburji area on Thursday to inquire about Misbah.

The court observed that such a conduct by police was tantamount to the contempt of court which had passed an order a day earlier restraining the police from doing so.

Earlier the DIG (Operations) deposed before the court on behalf of the Capital City Police that the city police was under no instructions from the government to take the custody of the girl and hand her over to a third party.

He submitted that police had made no attempt to arrest the girl because such an action was not required in the absence of instructions from the government. He stated that no police official ever visited Sajjad Rana’s home to inquire about the girl.

The apprehensions of the petitioner, he stated, were wholly unfounded.