LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday sought a reply from the interior ministry on a petition of a South African woman, seeking an exit permit without any cost.

Anna Elizabeth, 70, had first visited Pakistan back in 2011 and contracted marriage with one Muhammad Maqsood, her lawyer Tanvir Chaudhry told the court.

He stated that the petitioner, after the marriage, returned to South Africa in order to resign from her job and sell her assets. She returned to her husband in Pakistan in 2012.

However, the lawyer said, the relation of the petitioner and her husband became strained and abusive as the latter tried to grab her money.

Later, the petitioner was kicked out by her husband from his house, the counsel added.

He further contended that the petitioner had been robbed of her money in Pakistan,where she had come after selling all the assets she had in her native country.

The lawyer said the petitioner, when approached the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), was asked to furnish an affidavit of her husband for the issuance of a Pakistan Origin Card (POC).

He said, the whereabouts of her husband were not known to her despite several orders passed by courts.

He informed the court that the petitioner wanted to go back to South Africa to live with her children from her previous marriage.

He asked the court to order the government to waive off the penalty slapped on the petitioner for overstaying in Pakistan, and issue an exit permit to her without charging any cost.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Shahid Karim directed a federal law officer to seek instructions from the minister of interior and submit a reply on Jan 21.