ROME: Italy said Thursday it had asked Pakistan to extradite the parents of a teenage girl suspected of having been murdered by her family after refusing an arranged marriage.
The announcement came after news Wednesday that the uncle of 18-year-old Saman Abbas had been arrested in Paris, accused of her murder alongside her parents and two of her cousins.
The case has sparked outrage in Italy and has become front page news since police began investigating the teenager’s disappearance in May. Her body has yet to be found.
“Justice Minister Marta Cartabia... has signed and sent to Pakistan the two extradition requests for the parents of Saman Abbas, who are under investigation for the murder of their daughter,” the justice ministry said Thursday.
Prosecutors had on Wednesday announced the arrest on a European warrant of the teenager’s uncle on the outskirts of Paris.
Saman Abbas, who lived in the northern Italian town of Novellara, last year refused her family’s plan to have her marry a cousin in their home country of Pakistan.
While still a minor, she turned to social services and in November was moved into a shelter home. She also reported her parents to police, but on April 11 returned to them.
Police began searching for her on May 5, when officers visited her house and found nobody.
Officers then discovered that the girl’s parents had left for Pakistan without her, and found images from a nearby security camera that made them fear the worst.
Late on April 29, five people could be seen walking off from the house holding shovels, a crowbar and a bucket, and returning after about two-and-a-half hours.
One cousin accused in the case is currently in jail in Italy.
Italy asks Pakistan to extradite parents of teen murdered in arranged marriage row
https://arab.news/g7c66
Italy asks Pakistan to extradite parents of teen murdered in arranged marriage row
- Announcement came after news Wednesday the uncle of 18-year-old Saman Abbas was arrested in Paris
- Case has sparked outrage in Italy and been front page news since police began investigating teen's disappearance in May
Pakistan court directs authorities to form medical board to assess Imran Khan’s eye condition
- Islamabad High Court rejects jailed ex-PM’s request for immediate transfer to private hospital
- Medical board comprising doctors from PIMS and Shifa to submit report on possible transfer
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani high court on Thursday directed authorities to form a medical board of government doctors to assess whether jailed former prime minister Imran Khan needs to be transferred to a hospital, his party said, following a rejection of his request to be moved to a private facility for treatment.
The development comes after the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said last week that Khan’s vision had “improved remarkably” since he was given an Anti-VEGF injection amid concerns related to his eyesight.
Anti-VEGF injections are commonly used to treat retinal vein occlusion and other retinal vascular disorders by reducing swelling and abnormal blood vessel growth inside the eye. Prior to the development, the ex-premier had complained of rapid deterioration in vision in one of his eyes.
“The Islamabad High Court has rejected Imran Khan’s request for immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital,” the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said in a post on X.
“The court directed that the Chief Commissioner immediately constitute a medical board comprising doctors from PIMS and Shifa Hospital,” it continued. “The medical board will submit a report, on the basis of which the Chief Commissioner will decide whether a hospital transfer is to take place or not.”
The PTI said the court’s decision had raised questions over the judiciary’s independence.
“Delaying a medical emergency and handing it over to administrative discretion is a violation of human rights,” it said. “The issue of Imran Khan’s health is not just about one individual but reflects the entire judicial and state system.”
The 74-year-old cricketer-turned politician has been in prison since August 2023 in cases that he and his party say are politically motivated.
Khan was taken to PIMS for a medical procedure earlier this year, as his party questioned the transparency of the medical update and demanded independent access to his care.
Khan was removed from office in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence that he says was orchestrated at the behest of the former administration in Washington by his political rivals with backing from the military. His allegation has been denied by all parties involved.
Since his imprisonment, Khan has faced multiple convictions and ongoing legal proceedings that authorities say follow due process, while his party describes them as efforts to sideline him from politics.
