LAHORE: A family court has issued a notice summoning Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal on April 18 and restraining him from taking custody of his five-year-old daughter, who is diagnosed with autism, from his second wife, Ambreen.
Judge Jawad Zafar issued the orders on a petition for guardianship filed by Ambreen Noorul Amin through her counsel Mian Dawood.
The petitioner’s counsel stated that Ambreen had married Mengal on April 16, 2018, with a dower amount of Rs50,000, which remains unpaid. Out of the marriage, the daughter was born on November 29, 2018, and has been under Ambreen’s care since birth.
The counsel highlighted that the relationship between the spouses deteriorated after the birth of their daughter, with Mengal neglecting to provide for his wife and child.
The petitioner started an online business from home to support herself and her daughter.
Concerns arose as the petitioner noticed symptoms of autism in her daughter.
The counsel emphasised that Mengal, despite being a civil servant in BPS-21, had failed to provide adequate financial support, prompting the petitioner to seek legal recourse.
The court, after preliminary hearings, prohibited Mengal from taking custody of the minor and ordered him to submit a reply by April 18.
The court also instructed Ambreen not to relocate the child outside its jurisdiction.
The petitioner pleaded to the court to appoint her as the permanent guardian of the minor, stressing the essential bond between mother and child, especially given her daughter’s condition.
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