Child maid killed over parrot release laid to rest

8-year-old opened cage to feed macaws, but one of the parrots flew away

MUZAFFARGARH: An eight-year-old girl who was killed by her employers in Rawalpindi for letting their pet parrots escape, was laid to rest in Kalar Wali, a suburban area of the city on Friday.

Last week on Sunday, the victim named Zohra, daughter of Tahir Shah, opened a parrot cage to feed the birds but one of macaw parrots flew away. As a punishment, Zohra's employers, who run a business buying and selling animals, beat her unconscious before abandoning her at a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Monday.

Police arrested employer Hassan Siddiqi and his wife for torturing the maid to death. It is illegal to employ anyone under the age of 15, however, it remains a common practice in the city. Meanwhile, a young man’s both hands were cut after being trapped in an electric grass cutter.

Rescue 1122 informed that Muhammad Saleem, 25, was mowing grass at Rangpur Road near Chungi when all of a sudden both his hands were trapped in thecutter. Resultantly, his hands got cut. Rescue 1122 officials said that on being altered, the team reached the spot and after giving first aid to the injured, they shifted him to DHQ hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2020.