Tayyaba torture case: IHC summons parents for verification of statements

In last hearing, Tayyaba’s parents told court again they had forgiven suspects “in name of God”

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Friday, summoned parents of a juvenile housemaid, who was allegedly tortured by a sessions judge and his wife in Islamabad, in order to verify their earlier statements submitted in the court, exonerating the suspects from all charges.

IHC judge, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, ordered authorities concerned to produce the parents of 10-year-old Tayyaba on May 10 so that their statements could be recorded and verified in light of the affidavits they earlier submitted in the court.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife, Maheen Zafar, had been booked after the victim accused them of keeping her in wrongful confinement, burning her hand over a missing broom, beating her with a ladle, detaining her in a storeroom and threatening her of even worse.



During Friday’s hearing, Justice Kayani questioned why the state remained silent against the parents of the juvenile maid. Advocate General Islamabad Mian Abdul Rauf informed the court that the parents had joined the investigation and their statements, recorded before the Supreme Court (SC), had supported the prosecution’s version.

“Not anymore,” remarked Justice Kayani apparently referring to the affidavits of the parents.

“Now their statements are different from the ones they recorded before the SC,” the AG admitted.

Justice Kayani asked Rauf if there was any legal hindrance in case the parents of the minor entered into a compromise with the suspects in the matter. “The SC has become guardian of the minor in the case,” replied the AG.

In January, the apex court had overruled the pardon granted to the suspects and exercised its parental jurisdiction in the matter. In his arguments, Rauf said that a few sections of the Pakistan Penal Code inserted in the FIR could not be compounded, adding that the parties could reach a compromise after the suspects were indicted.

The counsel for suspects, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, however, raised an objection asking on what ground the prosecution said that it was not at a stage to reach a settlement. “This is the right stage to compound the matter,” he said.



Abbasi also questioned under what authority the police lodged a case with non-compoundable sections, adding even the statement of the minor under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code was registered before registration of the FIR. “Every right of the suspects has been bulldozed.”

During the last hearing of the case, the housemaid’s parents, Muhammad Azam and Nusrat Bibi, once again submitted before the court that they had forgiven “in the name of God” whatever happened to their daughter.

The parents 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 suspects through their own free will and without any pressure or fear.

The court will now take up the case on May 10.