HYDERABAD, Sept 6: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, here on Monday ordered police to quash an FIR registered under the Zina Hudood Ordinance against a man after his wife stated that he was her husband and she was being harassed by police and her family.

Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the SHC bench also directed police to ensure that the couple would no be harassed. The order was passed on a petition filed by Farzana Khaskheli, a Hindu girl who had embraced Islam and married Javed Khaskheli.

Lawyer Ayaz Latif Palijo represented the woman who recorded her statement before the court and was also cross-examined by respondent's counsel Ahmed Ali Sheikh.

Petitioner's counsel said that the woman had embraced Islam on April 2, 2004, and then married Javed, a resident of Beero Khaskheli village, Samaro taluka, in the presence of two witnesses, Usman Machhi and Abdul Latif Dahri.

She had also filed an affidavit before the judicial magistrate of Sanghar on April 26, stating that she had married of her own free will. Thereafter, she said, her father with several unidentified persons attacked her husband on May 7 and threatened to lodge a case of rape and kidnapping against him if he did not divorce her.

The SHO of Umerkot told the court that an FIR had been registered against Javed under section 11/16 of the Zina Hudood Ordinance.