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ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP):An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad on Wednesday announced its verdict in the case involving the abduction of a Norwegian child from a local shopping mall, bringing an end to the trial that began after the incident in May 2025.
The court sentenced one accused to life imprisonment while acquitting the co-accused, citing lack of evidence against him.
According to the verdict issued by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, the accused woman, Shaista Mehrabadi, was found guilty of abducting three-year-old Azlan from a local mall in Islamabad. The court sentenced her to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 500,000. The co-accused, Haroon Khan, was acquitted after the court found no evidence linking him to the crime. The written judgment spans 14 pages.
During the trial, Prosecutor Rana Naveed informed the court that the complainant, a Norwegian national, had come to Pakistan from Norway along with her family. He said CCTV footage from the mall showed the child leaving the premises with two women. The footage later confirmed that the child was taken away by the accused.
The prosecutor further stated that the accused, Shaista Mehrabadi, was arrested along with the abducted child. He added that her identity was verified through NADRA records based on the CCTV footage. The abducted child was recovered safely from her custody.
In its judgment, the court observed that no past dispute between the complainant and the accused could be established during the trial. The accused had alleged a quarrel with the complainant, but failed to prove the claim. The court held that the CCTV footage clearly established the charge of abduction.
The accused were charged with abducting three-year-old Azlan from a local mall. A case was registered against them at Margalla police station in May 2025 under relevant sections related to abduction.