G-B Chief Court petitioned for recovery of ‘abducted’ minor girl

GILGIT: A legal team on Monday submitted a writ petition to the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court seeking the recovery of Falak Noor, a 13-year-old girl who was abducted two months ago and forcibly married.

Filed under the Habeas Corpus – Writ Petition under Article 86(2)(b) of the Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018, the petition seeks urgent judicial intervention to ensure the recovery and safe return of the minor, who is currently believed to be in the custody of several accused individuals.

According to the petition filed by Sakhi Ahmed Jan, the distressed father of the abductee, the document articulates grave accusations against a group of individuals, including both civilians and police officials, purportedly involved in the girl’s disappearance.

The petition asserts that Falak Noor was abducted on January 20, 2024, while she was on her way to her religious education classes. The petition accuses the alleged husband Fareed, his father Azam, and three others of orchestrating the abduction, with specific mention of a vehicle and its registration number involved in the incident.

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The petition implicates five officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan Police, including high-ranking officers up to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), for their failure to recover the minor, pointing to a significant lapse in duty and concern for child safety within the region. Sepoy Qamar is explicitly accused of actively facilitating the abduction, pointing towards a disturbing collusion between the accused and certain elements within the police force.

The petition elaborates on multiple human rights violations, including the forced marriage of Falak Noor to one of the accused and forced conversion, actions deemed in blatant violation of her constitutional and fundamental rights. “The minor girl/abductee has been forcibly married to Respondent No. 1, and her sect has been forcibly converted without consent of her legal guardian, which is a blatant violation of her constitutional and fundamental rights,” the petition reads.

Despite filing an FIR and subsequent legal efforts, the petition highlights the failure of the police to make any substantial progress in the case, leading to the current legal plea for the court’s intervention.

The legal team, comprising advocates Ehsan Ali, Karim Ahmed, Rashid Umar, Yawar Abbas, Imtiaz Hussain, and Khurshid Ul Hassan, has filed the writ petition under Article 86(2)(b) of the Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018, read together with the enabling provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The plea demands the recovery and court production of Falak Noor, aiming to bring her back from what has been described as ‘unlawful custody.’

The petition demands not only the recovery of Falak Noor but also an inquiry and potential termination of the police officials involved in facilitating the abduction. Additionally, the plea calls for the annulment of the unlawful marriage and any other relief deemed just and appropriate by the court.

Sakhi Ahmed Jan, father of Falak Noor, has expressed his hope in the legal system and the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court. He stated that their lawyer has filed a writ petition in the High Court regarding his daughter’s case, confident in both the legal team and the judiciary to recover his daughter and provide justice.

Ehsan Ali Advocate, a senior lawyer on the prosecution team, shared with the media that they have approached the Chief Justice of the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court, explaining the grave nature of the case as one concerning human rights, involving the life, honor, and freedom of an innocent girl. Highlighting the urgency, he noted that the Chief Justice has scheduled a hearing for the morning, during which police officials will be issued notices. These directives from the Chief Justice will require the police to produce the abducted girl within a few days, failing which the court is expected to take strict action against the police officials involved.

The lawyer elaborated on the writ petition filed on behalf of Sakhi Jan, Falak Noor’s distressed father, which accuses not only the alleged abductors but also points to the negligence of senior police officials over the past two months.