Arrest warrant issued for ‘husband’ in same-sex couple

Suspect summoned on Aug 7

A Reuters file image

RAWALPINDI:

Non-bailable arrest warrants were issued on Wednesday for the arrest of the ‘husband’ in an alleged same-sex marriage.

The warrants were issued by the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday, a day after the court was told that the husband, Ali Akash, alias Asma Bibi, had divorced his teenaged ‘wife’.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, LHC Justice Abdul Aziz expressed his displeasure over Asma’s continued absence.

He subsequently directed the Taxila and Garden Town-Lahore SHOs to present the suspect in court on August 7 at any cost and adjourned the hearing.

Earlier, the police told the court that they could not find Asma at her house despite frequent visits.

Meanwhile, her lawyer filed a petition before the court, stating that his client had divorced his wife and annulled their marriage. He, thus, urged the court to dismiss the case against her.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2020.