Woman rescued from greedy son’s captivity

PHRALC had filed petition to recover woman on complaint of victim’s youngest son

RAWALPINDI:

The District and Sessions Judge Tariq Javed allowed an elderly woman held hostage for the last three years by her eldest son for the sake of her property, to live with her youngest kin.

The Punjab Human Rights Legal Aid Committee (PHRALC) filed a petition in the sessions court to recover the elderly woman on the complaint of the victim’s youngest son. The petition stated that three years ago, Ahmad Raza Shah took his 82-year-old mother, Shamim Akhtar, widow of Ghulam Hussain Shah, to his house near Mohammadi Masjid Tulsa Road. The son then locked his mother to gain her property.

According to the application, the elderly woman remained confined to a room where she was tortured and not allowed to meet anyone. The victim was provided inadequate food owing to which her life was endangered.

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The sessions judge ordered Civil Lines police SHO to rescue the old woman and produce her in court. The police team, along with PHRLAC officials, conducted a raid and rescued the victim from her eldest son’s house. When the court bailiff entered the house, he found the 82-year-old woman locked in a room. After recovering her, she was presented before the sessions judge.

The senior citizen confirmed she owned valuable property in Lahore, Kasur, and its vicinity and that her eldest son wanted to acquire it.

The judge asked the old woman if she wanted to live with her youngest son and gave her some time alone to think about it. After this, the woman stated that she wanted to go with her youngest son, Hassan Raza, and stay with him. The court allowed Shamim to go with her youngest son, as per her wishes.

PHRLAC advocates and senior members Malik Amir Saleem and Qamar Waqas Tarar said that the eldest son didn’t let his siblings meet their mother. They were not even allowed to talk to her on the telephone. They added that action was taken after the victim’s youngest son lodged a complaint.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2021.