29/11/2006

Schoolgirl to return to Scotland from Pakistan

The schoolgirl at the centre of an international custody battle has been ordered to return to Scotland by a court in Pakistan.

Twelve-year-old Molly Campbell, now known as Misbah Rana, left her home in Stornoway in Scotland to travel with her older sister to Pakistan where her father lives.

The move triggered an international search for the schoolgirl. Her mother, Louise Campbell, had lodged a legal petition in Pakistan, claiming that her former husband, Sajad Ahmed Rana, and her eldest daughter, Tahmina, had illegally taken the schoolgirl. However, Molly said that she wanted to remain in Pakistan and live with her father.

The High Court in Lahore has ruled that Molly must return to Scotland to live with her mother. The judge said that Molly was to be handed over to the custody of the British High Commission within the next seven days.

Speaking outside the court, Molly's father said that he was "surprised and shocked" by the decision. He said that his daughter was "very devastated" by the decision and wanted to remain in Pakistan.

(KMcA)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

31 August 2010
Pakistan Cricketers Face Punishment If Guilty
The Pakistan cricketers at the centre of a match-fixing row face "prompt and decisive action" if they are found guilty, the sport's ruling body said. The International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit said that they would "not tolerate corruption in this great game" and they are preparing a report, while police also investigate the claims.
01 September 2006
Missing girl 'wants to remain in Pakistan'
A 12-year-old girl who was feared to have been abducted by her father and taken to Pakistan has said that she travelled to the country of her own free will. Molly Campbell, also known as Misbah Iram Ahmed Rana, left her home in the Western Isles last week to travel to Pakistan with her father and older sister.
01 September 2003
Missing schoolgirl discovered in Scotland
Missing teenager Stacey Champ has been found in Scotland, along with 46-year-old David Milner, the man she ran away with. The 14-year-old girl and Mr Milner were found in a car in Caithness in Scotland on Monday morning, after having apparently spent the night in the vehicle.
10 January 2007
Pakistan girl custody case dropped
The mother of a schoolgirl at the centre of an international custody dispute has dropped her claim for full custody, it has been revealed. Louise Campbell had been fighting for custody of her daughter Molly Campbell, now known as Misbah Rana, who left her home in Scotland last year to live with her father in Pakistan.
29 August 2006
Mother's appeal over daughter's 'abduction'
The mother of a 12-year-old girl believed to have been abducted by her father from the Western Isles has appealed for her safe return. Molly Campbell, also known as Misbah Iram Ahmed Rana, is believed to have been collected from her school in Stornoway by her 18-year-old sister Tahmina on Friday.