IHC seeks official’s input on domestic violence

DAG submits copy of existing laws regarding child labour

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Chief Commissioner and judicial assistants to again submit a detailed response to the petition seeking the dismissal of Civil Judge Asim Hafeez from his job due to the alleged violence of his wife on a young domestic worker and enforcement of child labour laws.

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq heard the petition, seeking the dismissal of Civil Judge Asim Hafeez from his job and stopping child labour due to the alleged violence by the civil judge’s wife on her young domestic aide.

During Monday’s hearing, the Ministry of Human Rights submitted its report. The Deputy Attorney General told the court that the Child Labour Department and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights had also been put on notice in the case.

“What steps have been taken so far regarding employing young children?” remarked the chief justice. The Deputy Attorney General submitted a copy of the existing laws regarding child labour, at which the court inquired whose job it was to implement those laws. The representative of the Ministry of Law said the Islamabad Child Labour Department was responsible for the implementation of those laws.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing of the case till December 6.

The IHC had last month issued a notice to the Ministry of Human Rights and others, seeking a detailed reply on how to control domestic violence. The court also sought suggestions regarding child protection and welfare.

Background

Rizwana, a young housemaid who endured severe torture while working at the residence of a civil judge, was brought to the District Headquarters Hospital in Sargodha in critical condition reportedly with wounds on her face, head and body that were said to have been caused by a “blunt weapon”. The girl also bore burn marks on her body. She was later shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Lahore General Hospital, with doctors fearing for the teen’s life.

The case made headlines nationwide after images of the bruised and battered girl, said to be 14 years old, went viral in the last week of July. In the aftermath of the incident, it was revealed that she was employed at the residence of a civil judge, with the girl’s parents saying that she had named the judge’s wife, Somia Asim, as her abuser.

Rizwana’s statement unveils a chilling pattern of abuse that paints a grim picture of her life within the judge's household. She reportedly detailed instances of being beaten with sticks, kicked and slapped by the judge's wife in fits of anger.

The abuse allegedly escalated to the point where she was frequently locked in a room for several days, left hungry and isolated from the outside world. Rizwana claimed that she was not even allowed to meet her parents during her time of servitude.

One particularly distressing revelation is that Rizwana’s attempts to communicate with her parents were closely monitored by the judge’s wife. Even during phone calls, the judge’s wife was present, preventing the young girl from sharing the true extent of her suffering with her family.

Rizwana’s testimony further highlights the dire conditions she endured, as she allegedly stated that her wounds resulting from the abuse were left untreated.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2023.