‘Attempt to murder’ charge inserted in FIR against judge’s wife

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have added multiple charges, including ‘attempt to murder’, to the FIR registered against the wife of a sessions judge in Islamabad for allegedly torturing a child domestic worker.

The FIR has been registered at the Humak Police Station in Islamabad after the medical report of the domestic worker revealed multiple injuries, including broken bones, on her body.

The 14-year-old domestic worker, Rizwana, had been working as a maid at the house of Sessions Judge Chaudhry Asim Hafeez for some time.

She had been subjected to brutal violence by the judge’s wife, who has obtained protective bail from the Lahore High Court until August 1.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, taking notice of the incident, has directed the authorities to ensure justice for the victim.

The girl belongs to Sargodha district in Punjab and was brought to Islamabad by her parents, who had hoped to provide her with a better life.

However, they were shocked to find out that their daughter had been severely abused by her employer. The girl’s mother said that when she went to Islamabad on July 23 with her husband and brother to meet her daughter, they found her in a miserable condition.

The case of Rizwana is not an isolated one in Pakistan. There have been several incidents of child domestic workers being tortured and killed by their employers in recent years.

Some of these cases are

In June 2016, Tayyaba, a 10-year-old girl, was rescued from the house of Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan in Islamabad, where she had been working as a maid.

She had burn marks on her hands and face, bruises on her body, and a cut on her eye. The judge and his wife were initially sentenced to one year in prison and fined Rs50,000 each, but later acquitted by the Islamabad High Court.

Read more: Tortured Teenage housemaid shifted to ICU

In January 2017, Uzma Bibi, a 16-year-old girl, was found dead at the house of Hassan Siddiqui, a former officer of the Pakistan Air Force, in Rawalpindi.

She had been working as a maid for four years and had signs of torture on her body. The police arrested Siddiqui and his wife and registered a case of murder against them.

In May 2018, Kinza Bashir, an 11-year-old girl, was tortured by her employers, Major Ammara Riaz and Dr Mohsin Riaz, in Rawalpindi.

She had wounds on her head, face, back and limbs. The police arrested the couple and registered a case of attempted murder against them.

In June 2018, Fatima Batool, a 12-year-old girl, was beaten to death by her employer’s son in Lahore.

She had been working as a maid for two years and had injuries on her head and chest. The police arrested the accused and registered a case of murder against him.

These cases highlight the plight of child domestic workers in Pakistan, who are often exploited, abused and denied their basic rights.

According to a report by SPARC (Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child), there are an estimated 8.5 million child domestic workers in Pakistan, most of whom were girls.

They are vulnerable to physical, sexual and psychological violence, as well as trafficking and bonded labour. They are also deprived of education, health care and social protection.

The report calls for the enactment and implementation of laws to protect child domestic workers from exploitation and violence.