LAHORE, Aug 17: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered Kahna police to produce two women in the court on Aug 20, who were, according to the petitioner, in the custody of police.

Justice Syed Hamid Ali Shah ordered the superintendent of police to appear before him if the police did not produce the women.

The judge said this while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Muhammad Ismail, who sought the release of his five family members, including his wife, brother and sister-in-law.

The petition states Samina Firdous, daughter of Mehr Muhammad Bhatti, married Muhammad Nasir on March 15, 2007, against the will of her parents. Bhatti abducted Ismail’s wife Sadia to force his family to disown the marriage. On Aug 14, Bhatti again barged into Ismail’s house and took away his maternal uncle Muhammad Husain and handed him over to Kahna police.

On Aug 15, police raided petitioner’s house and took Nasir and his wife Samina and one of their relatives, Abdullah, into custody.

The petitioner says police tortured his brother to force him to divorce his wife. He prayed the court to get freed all his family members.

When the hearing of the case began on Friday, the bailiff produced Nasir and Abdullah before the judge. The bailiff said he did not find the women at the police station.

The court released Abdullah while handed over custody of Nasir to police because of a Hudood case against him. —Reporter