Justice sought for madrassa student killed by teacher

Renowned social activist and Zindagi Trust founder Shehzad Roy has called for justice in the tragic death of 14-year-old Farhan, who was allegedly beaten to death by a teacher at a madrassa in Swat district of Khyber-Pakhtunlhwa.

In a video message shared on social media, Roy condemned the act and urged parents and students to speak out against corporal punishment in all educational institutions.

Referring to the now-defunct Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code - which previously allowed teachers to use physical punishment for a child's "benefit" - Roy stated that such legal cover for abuse no longer exists. He stressed that no teacher has the right to hit a student, whether in a school or madrassa, and that any such act is now a punishable offense under the law.

"Farhan, a young student from Khwazakhela, lost his life to a teacher's brutality. This cannot and will not go unpunished," Roy said. He added that his purpose in making the video was not just to highlight Farhan's case, but to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Roy explained that Zindagi Trust had filed a constitutional petition against Section 89 in the Islamabad High Court. The chief justice ruled in favour of the petition, declaring the law unconstitutional.

"This law was repeatedly misused," Roy said, citing past incidents where students suffered permanent injuries or died due to violent beatings by teachers.

He criticised the culture of silence and impunity surrounding such abuse, urging children to confide in their parents and for families to report such incidents without fear. "Some teachers still defend their violence by saying it was for the child's good - but this is nothing short of cruelty," he said.

Roy also thanked the K-P police chief for arresting the teacher accused in Farhan's death.

In the end, he appealed to society: "We all share the responsibility to protect our children and to ensure that no more lives are lost to such senseless violence."