According to the girl’s family, police officials refused to register the case even after they were approached with a medical certificate proving assault. The family has now appealed to the court for justice.
According to area residents, Moza Bukhsho Bhithar resident Majeeda Bibi went to her friend Alya Bibi’s house to get her clothes stitched on Friday evening. “She went to the tailors and left me at the house to wait. While I was there her brother attacked me at gun point,” Majeeda told reporters.
(Read: Identity crisis - The ‘spy’ who kidnapped and raped me)
According to Majeeda, Alya’s brother Muhammad Razaaq pointed a gun to her head and ordered her to keep quiet. “I began screaming while he raped me and some neighbours stormed in and rescued me. He escaped,” she said.
Majeeda and her father approached the police but police officials refused to register a case. “The two men who had helped save me went with us to file the case but police ignored the charges. Then we got a medical certificate and they told us to drop the case otherwise our lives would be in danger,” she said.
Suleman and Imam Buksh told reporters that they reached the scene after they heard the girl’s screams. “We heard her screaming and stormed in. He had a gun to her head and she was nearly unconscious,” Imam said. “I took her to the hospital and my brother tried searching for Razaq but he escaped,” he added.
Police officials said that they did not register the case due to lack of evidence but were investigating the matter.
Majeeda’s father Asadullah, who works as a labourer, said that the family had been receiving death threats ever since they tried to register the rape case. “We have gotten threatening phone calls but the police refuse to do anything,” he said. “I’ve been working as a labourer in Karachi but I got here as soon as I could when I heard the news. We approached the police together,” he said.
The victim’s family has approached the court with the case and is seeking police protection against Razaaq and his friends. Asadullah said that he had approached the Rahim Yar Khan district police officer (DPO) seeking justice and demanding that the police take action.
The names of the victim, her family and the accused have been changed to protect their identity.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2011.
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