LAHORE - A Pakistani court Tuesday granted three-day interim custody of a 17-month-old son to Filipino woman and directed her counsel to take up the matter with the Philippine Embassy.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Nadeem Akhtar will ressume the hearing after three days. Ms Jennifer Batista had moved habeas corpus petition for recovery of her son Muhammad Haider from custody of his father Imran Qadir who took the child from Kuwait without informing the mother.

During the proceedings, the Batapur police took the minor to the court from his father’s custody in compliance of the court’s orders after the court issued strict warning against the station house officer for repeatedly defying court’s orders regarding production of the child.

Representing the Filipino woman, Advocate Rana Intizar told the court that Jennifer and Imran married two years ago in Kuwat. He said the couple had been working in the gulf state. The petitioner also embraced Islam before the marriage.

References against judges

The Lahore High Court directed a federal law officer to come up with arguments on a point that whether the high court had the jurisdiction to issue direction to Supreme Judicial Council for timely disposal of references pending against judges of the superior courts.

Justice Shahid Karim issued the order on a petition moved by Advocate Syed Feroze Shah Gillani and adjourned further hearing for two weeks.

Lawyers Foundation for Justice moved the petition through   Advocate Syed Feroze Shah Gillani and submitted that enforcement of Article 209 (5) of the Constitution was needed. He pleaded the court to direct the President and the SJC to dispose of inquiries/references pending before it against the judges.  Advocate AK Dogar appeared on behalf of the petitioner and submitted that the citizens seeking justice from the courts must be assured by quick action against any delinquent judge that no one was above the law and the judges could also be held answerable.

 The lawyer said that it could not be assumed that many complaints moved against judges of the superior courts were without any evidence unless there was a regular enquiry conducted  under the law.