Child maid torture: Girl’s parents again pardon judge, wife

Affidavits filed in IHC say the family does not want to pursue the case further

ISLAMABAD: Parents of a 10-year-old girl, who was allegedly employed and tortured by a sessions judge and his wife in the capital, once again told judicial officers that they had forgiven what happened to their daughter.

During Friday’s hearing of the case against Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife Maheen Zafar for allegedly torturing and illegally confining a juvenile working as a maid in their home, the girl’s parents submitted affidavits.

The girl’s father Muhammad Azam and mother Nusrat Bibi told Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani in the affidavits that they had forgiven the judge and his wife “in the name of God”.

The family further stated that they had looked into the case which had been registered against the judge and his wife “on the basis of false and baseless incidents”.

Subsequently, they stated, they had struck a compromise with the judge and his family through their own free will and without any pressure or fear.

Stating that the matter between the parties stood settled, they expressed their satisfaction that the “co-accused are innocent”.

Azam and Nusrat stated that they do not wish to pursue the case, and would have no objection if the suspects were granted bail or were acquitted.

“Nothing has been concealed,” they stated, adding that they had handed over the child's custody to the judge and his family since they were too poor to look after their daughter properly.

Terming allegations against the judge and his wife as ‘baseless and a conspiracy’ the family told Justice Kayani that Judge Khan had filed a missing person report after the girl had gone missing on December 27, 2016.

Moreover, the prosecution provided copies of the case to the suspects in compliance with the court's orders.

Justice Kayani subsequently issued notices to the police. Officials were directed to submit their replies by May 5 even though Justice Kayani had on Thursday ordered to hear the case on a daily basis.

Earlier in January, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo moto notice of the incident and had exercised parental jurisdiction in the case even as a district court approved a compromise between the girl’s parents and the judge.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2017.