Dar-ul-Aman official alleges underage marriages of orphan girls, gets 'arrested'

LAHORE: Lahore Dar-ul-Aman’s (Kashana) superintendent Afshan Latif in a video statement has alleged underage girls dwelling in the shelter home are forced into marriages by Director General Social Welfare Afshan Kiran Imtiaz.

In the video posted on Twitter, she claimed the director general, who wanted to curry favour with a provincial minister and high-ups, was putting pressure on orphan girls, including those who aged between 16 and 17 years, to enter underage marriages.

Ms Latif said the girls are being misused in the name of food and shelter.

She claimed she was removed from her post after she approached the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) with a request for an inquiry into the matter. She appealed to the chief justice and the prime minister to take notice of the alleged misuse of orphan girls living in shelters.

Later, Ms Latif posted another video, claiming she was put under arrest.

Commenting on the matter in the Punjab Assembly, Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Bait-ul-Maal and Social Welfare Raja Basharat said the woman was transferred in light of the CMIT’s report. He also denied that she was taken into custody.

Maintaining that Afshan Latif has turned the issue into personal ego, he said the impression of immoral activities in shelter homes existed long before he was entrusted with the portfolio.