F.P. Report
HARIPUR: A man was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a sessions court for marrying his stepdaughter in Khyber Paktunkhwa’s Haripur.
He also has to pay a fine of Rs100,000. The court announced the verdict against Waris Shah on Friday. The nikkah khawan (person who officiated the marriage) and registrar were acquitted in the case.
The girl’s mother filed a case against Shah on October 22, 2017 for marrying her 22-year-old daughter some time after marrying her. The registrar’s licence had been suspended during the trial.
A Haripur police official, Adil Khan, told a private television channel that the woman, Shehrbano, 40, said in her petition that her marriage to Shah was her second marriage. Shehrbano had a daughter, Samira, from her first marriage. She said Shah married Samira without her knowledge even though he already had a third wife, according to the Haripur policeman.
Shah lives within the limits of the Sarai Saleh police station. A case was registered against him by the police. Seven persons were accused in the case, including the marriage officiant and registrar. However, all the suspects except Shah and Samira obtained bail from the sessions court.
Shah and Samira then approached the Peshawar High Court to obtain bail, however, only Samira was successful in doing so. Shah then filed a bail petition in the Supreme Court on December 5, 2018.
The case was heard in the apex court by a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed.
It is the responsibility of the court to hear such cases and lawyers to fight them, but they do not reflect well on society, Justice Ahmed had said in his remarks.
During the SC proceedings, Samira’s lawyer, Siddiq Baloch, said that the matter should be decided by the Federal Shariah Court.
Referring to Shah’s marriage to his stepdaughter, Justice Ahmed said it was a shameful act.
The court had ordered the Haripur police to make all possible arrangements for Samira’s protection. It allowed Samira to leave with her in-laws. Samira’s mother created a ruckus in court over the decision and had to be escorted out of the courtroom by law enforcers.
Meanwhile, the trial in the sessions court concluded after arguments from both sides and the court awarded Shah 10 years imprisonment and acquitted the others accused in the case.
