Teenage maid ‘strangled’ to death
The victims are family members of a local tribesman who accused a provincial minister of murdering his family members.—Representational photo: Reuters/FILE
A 13-year-old domestic worker was allegedly strangled to death. Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab took notice of the incident and a murder case was registered upon the complaint of the victim’s father. The girl was buried in her native village of Pakpattan.
It has been reported that 13-year-old Zainab, who was working as a domestic worker in Tariq's house over the past two years, was reportedly strangled to death in Judicial Colony, within the limits of Khyali police station on Thursday.
The suspect’s family shifted the girl to a private hospital and stated that she had attempted suicide. Hospital administration informed police after finding marks on the victim's throat, prompting police to shift the body to district headquarters (DHQ) hospital.
Meanwhile, the girl’s family also reached the hospital and the victim's father Parvez said that a case was not being registered. However, after news of the incident was broadcast on the media, caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi took notice of the incident and sought a report from Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dr Haider Ashraf. A murder case was registered after receiving a call from the higher authorities.
The girl's father accused her employer Saima and her son Faisal of killing the victims and said that the police was not providing any information regarding the case. SHO Ziafat Bath said that the post-mortem report was not received, however the body was handed over to the family members after the autopsy.
Police detained a suspect, but it is too early to say whether the incident was a suicide or a murder. A lady doctor said that initially, there were no signs of sexual assault on the girl, but the situation will be clear after the forensic report is received.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2023.