SC exercises parental jurisdiction in childmaid case

Top court overrules pardon granted to judge by victim's parents

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday overruled the pardon granted to an Islamabad judge by the parents of a 10-year-old housemaid.

Additional District & Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife were booked for allegedly torturing a childmaid working in their house. However, the father of the 10-year-old housemaid, Tayyaba, ‘forgave’ the judge and his wife.

Terming the torture a “sordid incident”, Justice Nisar announced that since the parents of the victim “have taken cognisance”, the Supreme Court (SC) would now exercise parental jurisdiction in the case. “We are the parents of the child. We are concerned about the child’s fundamental rights, which cannot be compounded,” Justice Nisar remarked.



The top court ordered DIG Police Islamabad to constitute a high-level investigating committee into the incident. The court also ordered authorities to present the minor and her “real parents” at the next hearing.

“We need the real truth and nothing less,” the CJP said while directing police officials to collect evidence and submit a comprehensive report.

Earlier, police officials told the SC that the child could not been produced as the child and parents were ‘untraceable’. Commenting on the housemaid’s medical examination, the court directed concerned authorities to utilise all modern tools to help produce the true picture.

"We want medical examination at the earliest," Justice Nisar demanded, adding that "forensic tests of the photos and videos of victim that appeared in print and electronic media, should be conducted."

During the hearing, two new women appeared before the court, each claiming to be the mother of the child maid. Both, Kausar and Farzana maintained that their child went missing and were willing to undergo DNA tests, if required, to ascertain their relationship.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered authorities to present before it Friday the 10-year-old child maid – Tayyaba – allegedly tortured during her employment at the residence of an additional district and sessions judge in the federal capital.



The apex court had also issued a notice for attendance of the accused Maheen Zafar, wife of Additional District & Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan.

It had ordered Islamabad’s advocate general, DIG and SSP to appear along with the record and to ensure presence of Tayyaba, her parents and relatives mentioned in record. District and sessions judge- Islamabad West had also been directed to ensure production of record and proceedings of the case.