Govt told to determine age as Nimra sent to shelter home

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the provincial government to get Nimra Kazmi medically examined for the determination of her age in her freewill marriage case and in the meantime sent her to a shelter home.

The directives came on a petition seeking the recovery of the girl and the cancellation of her marriage under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act. Karachi police produced Nimra before the court in compliance with its directives. She submitted that she contracted marriage with Najeeb Shahrukh out of her own free will and she was 18 years old. She submitted that she was a student of the matric class.

To a court query, the girl was not able to produce any documentary certificate to support her statement. The counsel for Nimra’s parents however submitted the birth certificate issued by the National Database Registration Authority, showing that she was born on January 6, 2008.

The girl however contested the birth certificate and submitted that she was ready to undergo a medical test to confirm her age. The court sent her to the shelter home and directed the government to get her medically examined to determine her age. The court directed the police to produce the girl on June 2 along with her medical certificate.

Petitioner Nargis said her daughter had gone missing after leaving the house on April 20 and a case had been registered on kidnapping charges. She said police failed to file a charge sheet with regard to the kidnapping of her daughter despite knowing the fact that her daughter, a minor, was in the custody of Najeeb Shahrukh, a resident of Tunsa Sharif.

Nargis said her daughter during her confinement at Shahrukh’s house claimed marring him and she seemed to be afraid and under pressure at a press conference. She said Nimra was 14 years of age, belonged to the Shia sect and her marriage without a Wali and in violation of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act was also void and ab initio. The court was further requested to direct the police to inform it about her whereabouts, recover Nimra and set her free from the illegal detention of her alleged spouse.