Schoolgirl’s rape: PHC asked to probe reported case of suicide

Human rights activist in Chitral called it murder

CHITRAL: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has been asked to form a committee to probe the reported suicide of a schoolgirl in Laspur valley of Upper Chitral.

“Local police have called it suicide [as they] want to save the skin of some influential people in the area,” Human Rights Foundation Chitral Chairperson Niaz A Niazi said during a news conference on Tuesday at Chitral Press Club. “We want an independent enquiry into the case. How is it possible for a student to commit suicide in a school? It was simply a murder.”

He demanded that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa IGP and Chitral SP form an investigation team to determine the reasons behind the killing or ‘suicide’ of the girl. He added the girl’s family was not satisfied with the ongoing enquiry and therefore a special team, headed by a senior official, was needed. “The reasons of her killing should also be revealed and the people behind such heinous crimes should be handed exemplary punishment,” he said. “This is the 10th case of suicide in the area.”

The girl was reportedly raped by the watchman of her school when she was going to the institute in the morning. Her family registered the case. However, she reportedly committed suicide on August 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2016.