Medical board determines Arzoo Fatima's age between 14 to 15 years

KARACHI (92 News) - A board of doctors submitted its report in the Sindh High Court (SHC) over the age of Arzoo Fatima, which was claimed to be converted and had married of her own free will on Monday.

“Arzoo Fatima, has been an age of between 14 to 15 years,” the medical board informed the court in its report.

A five-member medical board was constituted by the court in previous hearing of the case to determine the girl’s age, which was claimed to be converted and had married of her own free will.

A bench of the high court consists of Justice KK Agha heard the case today.The SHC to send Arzoo Fatima back to a shelter home and ordered the investigation officer to continue proceeding with the investigation.

Arzoo Fatima and Ali Azhar, 44, the man she allegedly married were produced before the court in previous hearing. The girl had repeated her statement in the court that she was 18 years of age. “According to documents your age is lesser of what you claims,” the bench remarked.

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.