Missing minor girl from Gilgit declares marriage

GILGIT: In an apparent drop scene, Falak Noor, a young girl from Gilgit, has declared through a media message that she eloped of her own free will, countering claims of her abduction, echoing the infamous Dua Zahra case from Karachi.

Falak Noor, who has recently been at the center of a high-profile case, stated on Thursday that her departure was a personal choice, driven by love rather than coercion. She emphasized her love for Farid, whom she claims to have married willingly at a madrasa in Mansehra, asserting that her actions were motivated by affection and not external pressure. “As you can see, my father is causing a commotion on social media, claiming that I have been kidnapped and that I am thirteen years old. I am neither thirteen nor have I been kidnapped. I am merely sixteen years old and I am very happy with Farid,” she added.

Her revelation adds a new dimension to the case, which had previously sparked widespread concern and outrage in Gilgit over the police’s inability to make progress in what was believed to be her kidnapping.

Background on Falak Noor’s case reveals a complex narrative that initially painted a picture of abduction. Falak, aged 11, was reported missing since January 20, after failing to return from a Quran study session. Her father, Sakhi Ahmed Jan, lodged an FIR against a teenager named Freed, accusing him of kidnapping Falak. Despite these efforts, local police struggled to make headway in the investigation, leading to community outrage and demands for justice. The case took a significant turn with Falak’s recent statement, challenging the initial perceptions and drawing parallels with the Dua Zahra case, underscoring the complexities of such situations and the societal and legal challenges they present.

The Dua Zahra case, which Falak Noor’s situation closely mirrors, involved a teenage girl from Karachi who went missing in April 2022, leading to a massive social media outcry and police investigation. Zahra later surfaced, claiming she had eloped and married of her own volition, challenging the initial narrative of abduction. On January 6, 2023, after a series of twists in the case, the Sindh High Court granted custody of Dua Zahra to her parents. In an unexpected turn, Dua Zahra expressed her desire to return to her parents. Further complicating the case, the Karachi Police later informed the court that 24 individuals, including Dua’s alleged husband Zaheer, were implicated in her abduction and child marriage, shedding new light on the intricacies and the gravity of the case.