Peshawar. The Peshawar High Court has ordered the release of four Afghan refugee girls on bail. They were arrested for allegedly being in possession of gold at the Torkham checkpoint.
Justice Ijaz Anwar heard the appeal filed by the girls. During the hearing, their lawyers, Shahid Raza Khan and Bilal Dawoodzai, informed the court that the petitioners are from Afghanistan. The girls, Ayesha, 8, Asma, 10, Faheema, 12, and Faheem, are currently residing at the Child Protection Institute Zamung Kor.
The girls were arrested on July 8, 2024, allegedly by personnel of the former Khyber Rifles Headquarters at the Zero Line, Torkham checkpoint.
Reportedly, 1,227 grammes of gold was recovered from them. They were later transferred to the Customs House in Peshawar, and a case was registered against them. The girls had previously applied for bail in the Special Judge Customs, Taxation, and Anti-Smuggling Court of K-P, but their request was denied on September 11, leading them to appeal to the high court.
Their lawyers argued that the girls are innocent and there was no direct evidence on record against them, claiming that the case against them was baseless. They further noted that, under the law, if a child under 10 commits a crime, it is not considered a crime, and children under 14 are considered immature. Since all the petitioners are under 13 years old, the court granted the bail after hearing the arguments.
Article published in the Express Tribune on 2nd October 2024
