PESHAWAR, Jan 7: The controversy of a runaway Afghan woman, who had made a love marriage after escaping from Afghanistan with a man, took an interesting turn on Monday when the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) test proved that she could be the biological mother of two minor girls contrary to her denial that she was ever married to their father.

Presiding officer of a family court Kiran Shaukat de-sealed the DNA report sent by the National Forensic Science Agency and shared it with both the parties, which have been in litigation since July last when the woman, Maryam, and the man, Hewad, were arrested in Abbottabad after they claimed to have entered into wedlock.

The judge asked the woman whether she was having any twin sister as in that case, DNA profiles could be same.

The woman replied in negative. The judge announced that according to the report the woman could not be excluded as biological mother of two minor girls, Husna and Sana, whose profiles also matched with that of Abdur Rehman, an Afghan man, who claims to be the husband of the woman.

“Based on DNA analysis, Maryam Bibi cannot be excluded as biological mother of the children Husna and Sana,” the report states.

It added: “No two humans can have same DNA profiles except the identical twins. In the present case, the issue may be given consideration whether the defendant has any identical twin or not?”

The court was hearing a petition filed by Abdur Rehman for restitution of marital rights alleging that Ms Maryam was his wife and out of wedlock, the two girls, Sana, 4, and Hussna, 2, were born.

The couple, Hewad and Maryam, has been provided shelter at a centre for destitute women on the order of the Peshawar High Court.

Ijaz Khan Sabi, lawyer for Abdur Rehman, submitted an application to the court requesting that the DNA report proved that Maryam was mother of the two girls and therefore, she should be segregated from the man, Hewad. He contended that the DNA report was evidence that the plea of his client was correct. He said Maryam and Hewad were not legally wedded couple and they should be separated from each other.

The court fixed Jan 9 for deciding the said application. The court had in Sept last ordered to conduct DNA test of the woman, her alleged first husband and the two minor girls so as to resolve the controversy whether she was their mother or not.

The runaway couple was arrested by Abbottabad police after complaint was lodged by Mohammad Ishaq, brother of Abdur Rehman. However, after Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan took notice of the issue they were set free and had presently been provided shelter at a government run shelter for women.