Category: National

The Lahore High Court has ruled that a mother cannot be denied the custody of her minor child solely on the basis of her getting married again, a leading English newspaper has reported. 

Stressing that the wellbeing of the child must take precedence over all else, Justice Syed Ahsan Raza set aside rulings of appellate and trial courts which had granted custody of a 10-year-old boy to his father. 

The child’s parents had gotten married in 2012 and then divorced via a court decree. 

Justice Ahsan ruled that the child must immediately be handed over to his mother, from whom he had been taken. 

“In exceptional circumstances, and if deemed in the best interest of the minor, custody can be awarded to a mother who has remarried,” the judge stated. 

“It is an admitted fact that the minor had lived his entire life with the petitioner (mother), and to remove him from her custody solely due to her remarriage is not a legally or morally sufficient standard,” the judgment read. 

The mother’s lawyer had argued before the court that she was the best option to care for the child’s health, education and emotional needs. The father’s lawyers had argued that the mother’s remarriage had rendered her ineligible for raising the boy. 

Justice Kazmi noted that legality of the case depended on whether the mother’s remarriage alone disqualified her from custody and whether her financial status had been fairly assessed.

He said that both lower courts had erred by relying exclusively on the two factors to award custody to the father.

Hours after it was reported that United States (US) visas of over 400 students, including Pakistanis, had been revoked, the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) on Tuesday announced that the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) had been terminated for the country.

In a statement, USEFP said it regretted to inform that the programme, which provided one semester of US-based academic and cultural exchange to students from Pakistan, had come to an end after 15 years.

“We understand that this news may be disappointing, especially for those who applied this year and were looking forward to this opportunity. Over the years, the Global UGRAD Program has provided life-changing experiences to thousands of students, fostering academic growth, cultural exchange and leadership development,” it said.

USEFP went on to state that it was immensely proud of the impact the programme has had on its participants and the communities it had touched.

“We sincerely appreciate your interest in the program [sic] and the commitment to personal and academic growth. While this chapter is closing, we encourage you to explore other exchange and scholarship opportunities that may align with your aspirations,” it concluded, which aspirants the best for their academic and professional journeys.

While an official reason behind the termination of the programme has not yet been reported, the statement comes hours after the US abruptly cancelled the visas of more than 400 international students, including Pakistanis and Muslims from other countries, without prior notice or legal proceedings. 

According to media reports, while there could be several reasons behind the cancellations, officials associated with colleges and universities suggested that the government was taking the action quietly as the Donald Trump administration was reportedly targeting students who had participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

However, reports added, some students had their visas cancelled despite not taking part in any protest.

Among the affected students are those pursuing an education at Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Colorado State University, Minnesota State University and several others institutions.

The majority of the visa cancellations reportedly occurred during an audit of the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), reports said, adding that universities were currently providing legal assistance and support to affected students.

Student organisations have also raised questions about violations of due process.

The United States (US) has suddenly cancelled the visas of more than 400 international students, including Pakistanis and Muslims from other countries, without prior notice or legal proceedings, American media reported on Monday.

While there could be several reasons behind the cancellations, officials associated with colleges and universities suggest that the government is taking the action quietly as the Trump administration is reportedly targeting students who have participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. However, some students had their visas cancelled despite not taking part in any protest.

Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Colorado State University, Minnesota State University, and several others are among the institutions whose students have been affected.

As per media reports, 12 students and graduates at UCLA had their visas revoked, while a student from the University of Michigan has already left the country.

The majority of the visa cancellations reportedly occurred during an audit of the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).

Meanwhile, universities are currently providing legal assistance and support to affected students. However, visa cancellations have created anxiety among international students. Student organizations have also raised questions about violations of due process.

On March 25, the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid out instructions in a long cable sent to diplomatic missions, instructing them to thoroughly review the social media activities of visa applicants in an effort to bar those suspected of criticizing US and Israel from entering the country, The New York Times had reported.

Rubio further emphasized that the move aims to block entry into the U.S. for individuals who express critical views about American foreign policy.

The edict comes just over two months after President Trump signed executive orders to begin a widespread effort to deport people in the U.S., such as those who may have “hostile attitudes” toward American “citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles.”

Trump also put forward an executive order to start cracking down on what he referred to as antisemitism, including deporting students who took part in campus protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Rubio’s instructions stated that starting immediately, consular officers have to refer some student and exchange visitor visa applications to the “fraud prevention unit” for a “mandatory social media check” American media reports.