Arzoo Fatima case: Medical board determines girl’s age between 14 to 15 years

Sindh High Court Monday ordered to send Arzoo Fatima back to a shelter home and ordered the investigation officer to continue proceeding with the investigation.

Earlier the investigation officer in the case has presented report of a medical board constituted to determine the age of Arzoo that showed the girl is between 14 to 15 years of age.

A division bench, headed by Justice K K Agha, asked the girl if she converted to Islam willingly and without any pressure.

The court was hearing the case filed by Arzoo Fatima, a Christian girl who converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man, for providing her the protection.

Arzoo replied that she converted to Islam willingly and without any pressure.

When the court asked the girl whether she wanted to go with her parents, the girl while weeping replied she wanted to go with her husband.

Upon this the court directed that the girl be taken back to a shelter home and told police to proceed against her alleged husband for violating the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act 2013.

The court also directed that only those persons should be allowed to meet Arzoo who she agrees to meet.

During today's hearing, Arzoo reiterated she had not been kidnapped and had willingly married Syed Ali Azhar after converting to Islam.

The bench observed that according to the report presented by the medical board, the girl is between 14 to 15 years of age while the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) record showed she is 13 years old.

Arzoo’s lawyer argued that her client was an adult and as per Islamic Laws the marriage was legal.

The bench observed that she appeared to be underage and could not contract a marriage of her own free will. The court ordered the girl be taken back to the shelter home and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.