LAHORE: Farah’s parents, the girl who flew back to Italy on Friday, vowed to bring her back and regain her custody from the Italian authorities.
Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) denied that Farah underwent a forced abortion.
SHO [Station House Officer ] Qaiser Aziz said, “We investigated the case, questioned Farah, her parents and some locals and found no evidence of a forced abortion.”
PCSW legal adviser Imran Qureshi said, “We got details from the family and the girl about her alleged forced abortion in Pakistan but found no evidence.”
According to Italian news reports earlier, Farah managed to sneak text and audio messages to her friends in Italy, recounting that her parents had tricked her into returning to Pakistan for her brother’s wedding and then forced her to abort her child.
She also wrote of being afraid for her life.
Once in the embassy, Italy arranged for Farah’s Pakistani passport to be renewed as her family had destroyed the one she travelled with and issued her a visa to return to Italy.
Farah’s case prompted an outpouring of solidarity from Italian politicians from across the political spectrum eager to prevent a repetition of the Cheema case.
Verona’s social services office, which had received complaints from Farah previously about her abusive father, guaranteed her needs would be met and safety ensured.
Lawmaker Laura Boldrini, the former house speaker, praised Farah for raising her voice and “making us understand that when a woman rebels against those who want to oppress her, she will never be left alone”.
Giorgia Meloni, who has demanded a harsher crackdown on illegal immigrants, went so far as to call for Italy to grant Farah citizenship.
