Lahore, September 26 :

A Pakistan court today ordered the father of a 12-year-old Scottish girl at the centre of a custody battle to hand in her passport and not to move her outside its jurisdiction.

Molly Campbell, who also bears the Muslim name Misbah Iram Ahmad Rana, was brought here by her Pakistani father last month. Her Scottish mother alleges the girl will be subjected to a forced Muslim marriage. The Lahore High Court said her father Sajjad Ahmed Rana would have to hand over her passport and keep her within the province of Punjab until the next hearing on October 9, a court official told AFP.

Mother Louise Campbell filed a petition after the girl’s father won a case in a Lahore court three weeks ago barring the government of Pakistan from repatriating the girl. The petition said Rana concealed facts from the court about the legal status of the child and that the decision should be reviewed.