Dua Zehra case

On 16 April 2022 her parents reported to Police that Dua Zehra went missing from Alfalah Town. CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah took notice of the case and IG Sindh formed a team to recover her.{{Cite web |author= |date=2022-04-21 |title=Police teams formed to find 'kidnapped' girl in Karachi |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1685993 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} Ten days later she was traced to Okara, Punjab, and found to be married to a boy named Zaheer Ahmed in Lahore. In a video message released she said she left her home on her own free will and claimed to be 18 years old.{{Cite web |author= |date=2022-06-14 |title=Dua Zehra ask parents to accept her and Zaheer with big heart |url=https://www.globalvillagespace.com/dua-zehra-ask-parents-to-accept-her-and-zaheer-with-big-heart/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Global Village Space |language=en-GB}} She was presented to a magistrate in Lahore where after her statement she was allowed to go with her husband.{{Cite web |first1=Imran|last1=Gabol|first2= Rana|last2=Bilal|date=2022-04-26 |title=Lahore court says 'missing' Karachi girl Dua Zehra free to go wherever she wants |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1686908 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} Her parents on other hand argued that she is a minor as per Nadra's record and can't get married.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-25 |title=Mysterious Nature of Dua Zehra Case |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/957465/mysterious-nature-of-dua-zehra-case/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Daily Times |language=en-US}}

According to Police, Dua Zehra and Zaheer Ahmed became friends on social media from where they proposed to marry. She married Zaheer in Lahore after leaving her home in Karachi and according to her Nikahnama, the bride's age was 16 while the groom was 21. Her parents moved to Sindh High Court for determination of her age.{{Cite web |last=Tanoli |first=Ishaq |date=2022-05-08 |title=Father moves SHC for recovery of Dua Zehra |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1688477 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} The High Court asked Police to present her before the court. Police for weeks failed to recover her{{Cite web |last=Tanoli |first=Ishaq |date=2022-05-31 |title=Sindh police chief shown the door for failing to recover Dua Zehra |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1692296 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} as the couple went into hiding again. From Lahore they went on till Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, and were finally recovered from Bahawalnagar, Punjab, on 5 June 2022.{{Cite web |first1=Imtiaz|last1=Ali|first2=Qazi|last2=Hassan|date=2022-06-05 |title=Missing Karachi teenager Dua Zehra recovered from Bahawalnagar: police |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1693252 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} She was brought to Karachi and a medical test was conducted where her age was determined to be 16–17 years old by the Police's surgeon.{{Cite web |title=Ossification test reveals Dua Zahra's age 16 or 17 |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/421225-ossification-test-reveals-dua-zahras-age-is-16-or-17 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.geo.tv |language=en}} The High Court ruled that the case doesn't warrant the charge of kidnapping and she's free to decide her fate.{{Cite web |last=Baloch |first=Shafi |date=2022-06-08 |title='She is completely free': SHC allows Dua Zehra to decide who she wants to stay with |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1693769 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} The Lahore High Court also stopped the police from harassing Zaheer's family and viewed no case of abduction was found.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-10 |title=LHC restrains police from harassing Dua Zehra's in-laws |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360897/lhc-restrains-police-from-harassing-dua-zehras-in-laws |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}} Sindh Police also filed in court for the quashing of the charges after the High Court's ruling.{{Cite web |last=Sahoutara |first=Naeem |date=2022-06-16 |title=Sindh police asks court to quash Dua Zehra kidnapping case |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1695136 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

Dua Zehra's father Mehdi Ali Kazmi challenged the Sindh High Court's verdict in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir assisted Nabeel Kolachi, who moved the petition contending that the High Court had erred in not giving minor's custody to parents. The Supreme Court disposed off the petition asking them to approach a proper forum for determination of child marriage as two courts have ruled against kidnapping in the case specifically allowing the Petitioner to approach the relevant forum for constitution of a medical board and noting that any and all observation in respect of age of minor by the High Court would not be an impediment and/or would be disregarded{{Cite web |date=2022-06-23 |title=Dua Zehra's father withdraws petition, SC disposes case |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2362938/dua-zehras-father-withdraws-petition-sc-disposes-of-case |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}

Afterwards, Dua's father filed in a Karachi court for the constitution of a medical board to determine her age. The court allowed for it and a 10-member medical board was constituted by the Sindh Health Department.{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Shamil |date=2022-06-28 |title=Ten experts part of medical board that will determine Dua Zehra's age |url=https://www.aajenglish.tv/news/30290716 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Aaj English TV |language=en}} The medical board viewed that her age is between 14 and 16 years old.{{Cite web |last=Sheikh |first=Kamran |date=2022-07-04 |title=Dua Zehra is 15, says medical board in new twist |url=https://www.aajenglish.tv/news/30291305 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Aaj English TV |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-04 |title=Medical board report reveals age of Dua Zehra between 15-16 years |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/962393/medical-board-report-reveals-age-of-dua-zehra-nearest-to-15-years/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Daily Times |language=en-US}}

Later on Dua Zehra made a plea in court to be shifted to Darul Aman alleging threats from parents and also not being on good terms with her husband.{{Cite web |last=Siraj |first=Sarah |date=2022-07-19 |title=Dua Zehra shifted to Darul Aman, alleges parents hurling threats |url=https://www.bolnews.com/pakistan/2022/07/dua-zehra-shifted-to-darul-aman-alleges-parents-hurling-threats/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=BOL News |language=en-US}} She was then shifted to Darul Aman. On the order of Sindh High Court she was moved back to Karachi to remain in the custody of the Child Protection Bureau for trial.{{Cite web|first1=Ishaq|last1=Tanoli|first2= Naeem|last2=Sahoutara|date=2022-07-21 |title=SHC rules Dua Zehra can't be on her own in Lahore, police empowered to move her to Karachi |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1700838 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bilal |first=Rana |date=2022-07-24 |title=Dua Zehra moved back to Karachi from Lahore, placed in child protection centre |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1701330 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

On January 6, 2023, Dua Zehra's custody was granted to the parents. Dua Zehra asked the court to go back

In a further twist in the case, Karachi Police later told the court that 24 people, including Dua's purported husband Zaheer, were found to be involved in the abduction and child marriage{{Cite web |last=Sahoutara |first=Naeem |date=2022-07-17 |title=New twist as police confirm Dua's abduction, underage marriage |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1699952 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} While on the other hand Dua's father sought the removal of the Investigation Officer which the court granted and asked the new IO to submit challan in the case.{{Cite web |title=Dua Zahra case: Court seeks supplementary challan from new investigating officer |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/428748-dua-zahra-case-court-seeks-supplementary-challan-from-new-investigating-officer |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.geo.tv |language=en}} On March 8, 2025, a [https://tribune.com.pk/story/2533092/court-declares-dua-zehra-zaheer-ahmeds-marriage-valid Court] has ruled that the marriage of Dua Zehra and Zaheer Ahmed is valid, dismissing a petition that sought to declare their Nikah (marriage contract) as fake.

• Child marriage in Pakistan
• Child Marriage Restraint Act
• Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013

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Category:2022 in Pakistan