‘Justice only for the rich’

Rape-murder victim’s father dismayed at case progress

ISLAMABAD:

Cases of sexual violence and abuse continue to occur in the country and most victims are reported to be minors. Since the tear-jerking rape and murder case of six-year-old Zainab in Kasur, many others have followed suit regardless of the government’s attempts to warn potential perpetrators through its Zainab Alert Bill.

Heated discussions on death sentences and public hangings fill television screens and online forums yet more and more minors fall victim to these gruesome acts. Two years on, one such helpless father of a minor rape-murder victim decried that the state has failed to act on its promises of delivering justice to his family. He said this at a press conference held at the National Press Club on Thursday.

Gul Nabi, father of 10-year-old Farishta who was raped and killed in the limits of Shehzad Town, said he had exhausted his savings in pursuit of justice on behalf of his daughter but to no avail. He termed that justice was reserved only for the rich as he threatened to immolate himself along with his family.

The visibly-broken father remarked that his daughter was killed while he did not even receive her full body. He expressed extreme displeasure over the conduct of the courts and the police, commenting that they were unprofessional in their handling of the case. “The people sitting on high posts cannot feel the pain of the poor,” he added.

Nabi stated that the country founded in the name of Islam could not dispense justice to the impoverished. He reiterated that the police chief at the time had made tall claims and given false hopes.

The father said that the case was being heard in an anti-terrorism court, however, he expressed dissatisfaction over the court’s progress. He added that the prime suspect has been in police custody and they had requested that the court award him a death sentence as he was guilty of abusing four to five minor girls in the past as well.

According to data available with the Islamabad Police, the federal capital had reportedly witnessed a 159 per cent increase in child abuse cases in 2019.

Talking to The Express Tribune following the presser, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan former chairperson Zohra Yusuf commented that with about three percent conviction in rape cases, survivors or families rarely get justice. However, she added, the Anti-Rape Ordinance, 2020 has several positive aspects if passed and implemented.

On May 15, 2019, Farishta had gone outside her residence in the evening to play and went missing. Nabi immediately went to the Shehzad Town police station to register a first information report, however, the SHO accused the minor to have eloped.

On May 20, 2019, her dead body covered in wounds was recovered from a forest in the suburbs of the federal capital. Moreover, the medico-legal officer allegedly delayed the autopsy of the 10-year-old victim.

The hospital sources revealed that the victim’s family had complained about the behaviour of the hospital administration. When the administration investigated the matter, it was disclosed that the post-mortem was delayed because the MLO was absent from duty.

As a result of this, the family came out in protest at Taramri Chowk with the body and held the police responsible for her rape and murder. The protest was called off after they were assured that action would be taken against the SHO of Shehzad Town.

On May 22, 2019, police arrested a close relative of the family. Waqaruddin Syed, DIG Operations at the time, had said that the police arrested the prime suspect who was a 50-year-old known offender. Attempt to rape cases were registered against him in 2006 and 2017, he added.

The police said the suspect was arrested after being identified by other suspects taken into custody in connection with the case. However, the SHO and IO who were arrested for their negligence later got bail while the MLO in question was transferred.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2021.