Father, lawyers’ body refute Gilgit Missing girl’s age claims as coerced

GILGIT: Father and the High Court Bar Association of Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday categorically rejected the claims made by the missing minor girl, Falak Noor, regarding her age, asserting that the statement was made under duress.

In a video statement issued on social media on Thursday, Falak claimed to be 16 years old and married of her own free will. However, her father, Sakhi Ahmad Jan, disputes this, citing official records from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), which confirm that Falak is only 13 years old.
“This is not 16 years; according to the NADRA report, in my opinion, she is around 13 years old, somewhere between 12 and a half to almost 13.

The statement that has been made public was not willingly given by the girl. They pressured her into making this statement. Fine, let the girl come forward herself, let her come to court and give her statement, and let’s see if the court accepts it or not. It will then be clear that these people made her give the statement, and it was not her own will,” her father told the media.

According to the birth certificate available with HUM News English, Falak Noor was born on January 18, 2011, at Agha Health Service, which means she is 13 years old. Meanwhile, her Form B indicates she was born on January 18, 2012, making her 12 years old. It should be noted that it is common practice in Pakistan to adjust age by a year or more to benefit from the maximum age limit for jobs.

The plea for Falak’s recovery and justice took a significant turn when her father sought legal assistance from the High Court Bar Association in Gilgit-Baltistan. In a media interaction, Mian Naseem Akhtar, the President of the Association, pledged unwavering support for the girl’s safe return and the pursuit of justice. He highlighted the grave legal and ethical violations involved, emphasizing that a 13-year-old cannot legally consent to marriage in Pakistan, thereby rendering any such union illicit and morally condemnable.

Akhtar stressed the significance of the case in the broader context of child protection laws in Pakistan, the need for their stringent enforcement, and a societal reevaluation to prevent such incidents. The legal community, he noted, is mobilized and determined to use all available means to ensure Falak Noor’s recovery and to hold those responsible to account.

“A father has spent 13 years nurturing his child, only for her to be forcibly taken from him – this is not only a violation of law but a gross injustice. Here in Gilgit-Baltistan, we hold dear the respect for family and the sanctity of relationships. We are not a lawless land. Accordingly, consultations with senior and junior lawyers have concluded, and a team has been formed. InshAllah, after the holiday, we will be submitting a petition for the recovery of the underage girl,” Akhtar added.

Background of the Case

Falak Noor, an 11-year-old girl from Gilgit, went missing on January 20 after leaving her home for a Quran study session in the Sultanabad area of Danyore Police jurisdiction. The initial response from Falak’s family was a desperate search throughout the neighbourhood, which unfortunately yielded no results. Her father, Sakhi Ahmed Jan, upon discovering her absence, engaged family and neighbours in the search, later escalating the matter to the Danyore Police Station with a missing person report.

Acting on information from a relative of the suspect, identified as a teenager, Freed Alam, Jan lodged an FIR under section 364 A of the Pakistan Penal Code, accusing Freed of kidnapping Falak.

However, the case took a dramatic turn when Falak Noor reappeared and issued a statement through the media, asserting that she had not been kidnapped but had eloped of her own volition. This revelation challenged the initial kidnapping narrative and introduced a new layer of complexity to the case. Falak declared her actions were driven by love and her desire to marry Freed, a decision she claimed to have made willingly.