Pakistani court orders seizing of Indian diplomat's mobile phone

In a provocative act, the Pakistani judicial authorities on Friday seized the mobile phone of the First Secretary of Indian diplomat.

Islamabad: In a shocking incident, authorities in a Pakistani court on Friday seized the mobile phone of First Secretary at the Indian High Commission Piyush Singh.

The incident occurred during the hearing of the case of an Indian woman, who had sought refuge in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad after arriving in Pakistan to marry.

The official snapped three photos inside the court, including a picture of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, during the hearing.

When courtroom officials brought the incident to the notice of the judge, he ordered confiscation of Singh`s cellphone, PTI cited The Express Tribune as saying.

Terming it a serious violation of the court decorum, the judge ordered the Indian diplomat to submit a written apology before the court after Singh verbally apologised for the said incident. However, later the diplomat issued a written apology. The court accepted his apology and warned him not to repeat the act, the report said.

"I fully apologise for the attempt of using mobile in court by mistake. It is requested that I may kindly be pardoned for this," said Singh in his statement.

Uzma today petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for duplicate travel documents and provision of security for her journey back to India.

Uzma`s lawyer Malik Shah Nawaz Noon and First Secretary at the Indian High Commission Piyush Singh had filed the petition on her behalf with the Islamabad High Court.

The petition stated that her husband, Tahir Ali, had deceived her as he was already married, and that he stole her passport and other travel documents, Dawn online reported.

Uzma, 20, sought refuge at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week and asked to be repatriated to India after coming to know that Tahir Ali, a resident of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa whom she married, was already married and had four children.

On May 8, Uzma claimed that she was forced to marry Ali at gunpoint and was subsequently subjected to physical and sexual abuse. He also took away her travel documents, she claimed.

The claims were denied by Tahir.

The petition on Friday sought security for her journey back to India via the Wagah border and requested that her husband be restrained from harassing her.

It also sought an exemption to Uzma from reporting to police and requested her repatriation to her homeland.

"Tahir deceived me and forced me to marry him at gunpoint. He even stole my passport and travelling documents. I urge the court to ask the Foreign Office to issue duplicate travel documents so that I may travel back to India," the application stated.

The petition also urged the court for an immediate hearing in the matter.

Earlier this week, the Foreign Office (FO) said Uzma would only be repatriated back to India once all her legal requirements were completed.

Declaring her husband and the Foreign Office as parties to the case, Uzma declared the diplomatic enclave in the Indian High Commission as her residence.

(With Agency inputs)