IHC orders weekly video calls in child custody case
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed a Pakistani father to ensure weekly video call contact between his minor daughter and her Polish mother in an ongoing child custody case.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition filed by the Polish mother seeking the return of her daughter from Pakistan. In compliance with court orders, the father, Adeel Khan, appeared before the court and presented the child.
Following court instructions, the four-and-a-half-year-old girl, Anita Maryam Khan, was allowed to speak with her mother, Anna Monica, via video link in a separate room. It was reportedly their first conversation in three years, as the child was brought to Pakistan when she was only one and a half years old.
The court directed the father to facilitate weekly video calls between the mother and daughter and to submit a report on the implementation during the next hearing. The mother was also instructed to provide an update on the progress of the parallel custody case being heard in a Polish court on June 16.
During the proceedings, the court inquired whether the child recognized her mother. The father's lawyer stated that the girl acknowledged her mother but did not engage in much conversation due to the long separation. Justice Kayani emphasised that, for now, the court could only restore contact between the child and her mother through virtual means.
Responding to the court's queries, Adeel Khan claimed he left Poland due to threats from the mother and that he no longer held Polish citizenship. He alleged that the mother had attempted to harm both him and the child, and said he had also approached Polish courts on the matter.
The court adjourned the hearing until July 9 and directed both parties to comply with the orders in the meantime.
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