Lahore High Court grants minor’s custody to French mother

Amid cries and shouts, Amina Tarrar, an 11-year old girl has been handed over to her French mother after Lahore High Court (LHC) granted her the custody, maintaining earlier court decisions.

In quite a unique move, Amina told Justice Manzoor Ali during the hearing, “I will only go with my mother if she converts to Islam”. Upon which, Justice Manzoor Ali replied, “Child, my job is to decide the case on basis of law not your choice”.

The minor was found by the police from the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Lahore, where her father Razzaq Tarrar has been admitted for a heart condition.

During the hearing, Tarrar’s lawyer argued that the only reason Amina had been detained by her father was because she was a Muslim man’s daughter.

In counter remarks, Ingrid Brandun Berger’s counsel, stated that the guardian court of Phalia, a sessions court and a French court had already awarded Berger her daughter’s custody.

Amina, the daughter of Razzaq Tarrar and Ingrid Brandun Berger, was born in France. However, her parents separated, back in 2001. The French court gave custody of Amina to Berger but her father brought her to Pakistan when he was supposed to spend the weekend with the minor.

In short, the Phalia’s guardian court gave custody of the minor to her French mother but Tarrar along with the minor got disappeared. Despite winning the case in session court, the French lady had not been handed over her daughter.

Ultimately she filed an appeal before the Lahore High Court (LHC) for her daughter’s recovery. On which, the court handed over the screaming girl to her mother to whom she does not want to go, maintaining the decision  of previous courts.

In quite an astonishing move, the minor while speaking to judge said that he will be responsible if something happened to her. Apart from emotional aspects, it was quite a serious issue.

It was the second incident of its nature in the last three years in which international parental child abduction was done.

Lately, the Judicial Activism Panel has filed an application in the Supreme Court for a suo moto notice to keep the minor in Pakistan till the father can contest an appeal against the LHC verdict in the Apex court.

Provincial Minister Planning and Development Mines and Mineral Energy, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor filed the application in the apex court.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=13109

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Feb 18 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.