LAHORE: Justice Shahzada Mazhar of Lahore High Court on Friday sought a reply from the Foreign Ministry by October 1 regarding a petition filed to gain the custody of a child admitted at an Indian hospital.
Greeta Rose, the petitioner, said her daughter-in-law Shabnam Barkat had travelled to India on business with her granddaughter. She said Barkat had died in an accident in India. Rose said her granddaughter was critically injured in the accident and was being treated at a hospital.
She said Barkat’s sister had filed a petition at Delhi High Court seeking her custody. Rose said the court had referred the matter to the Pakistan High Commission. She said she feared that she would be granted the custody. Roz requested the court to direct the government to help her.
A law official told the court that the girl would be repatriated and a family court would decide the matter.
The official said some other relatives were also seeking her custody and should be made party to the case. Justice Mazhar issued a notice to the ministry after hearing the arguments. He also directed the petitioner to make the other relatives party to the case. The hearing will resume on October 1.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2014.