Later, the relatives staged a protest outside Nishtar Hospital. PHOTO: FILE
A private security guard was beaten by relatives of a woman when he allegedly told her to submit to a body search before entering Nishtar Hospital.
Sughran Bibi had arrived at the hospital for a delivery. She was accompanied by her relatives Ishaq, Imran and Liaqat.
She was stopped by security guard Akhtar Javed at the entrance. She said he told her to submit to a body search. She refused and an argument ensued between several guards and her relatives. In less than two hours, her relatives had brought more people from the village and they beat up Javed.
Ishaq said they had not wanted to resort to violence but the guards did not let them enter the building and refused to allow them to meet the medical superintendent (MS) to register their complaint. He said the MS had sided with the guards without listening to them.
Talking to The Express Tribune Javed said, “I was suspicious because the woman was not replying to my queries. I thought there was a man under the veil. I only asked her to show me her face because men are not allowed in the labour wing.”
Sughran Bibi’s relatives staged a protest in front of Nishtar Hospital.
Her brother Liaqat said the guard was rude and had insisted on a body search. “We asked him to fetch a female guard or a nurse to search Sughran Bibi but he refused.”
Sughran Bibi later gave birth to a baby at a private hospital, her cousin Imran said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2013.
COMMENTS (14)
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"gathered more people from their village": what a tribal / feudal country with no laws for outlaws
@expaki:
@Genius: “How would a guard or anoyone know if the body in a burkah is that of a male” You are right, remember a MULLAH of LAL Masjid, who tried to escape in BURKAH? However in this case guard should have had ask help of a lady.
Your comment brings in an important question. When Dr. Shakil Afridi was blamed for runnina a fake vaccination camp, Pakistanis refused to vaccinate their children. When Lal Masjid mulla fakes as a woman in burka, why don't pakistanis refuse to wear burka?
what if there was a suicide bomber in burka? Guard was just doing his job. What was the harm in showing her face for few seconds?
@Genius: "How would a guard or anoyone know if the body in a burkah is that of a male" You are right, remember a MULLAH of LAL Masjid, who tried to escape in BURKAH? However in this case guard should have had ask help of a lady.
@Amna Rizvi: Thrashing in public happens in US?
@Bilal: What an idiot and shameless person you are. Even on USA airports, male staff can never body search a female passenger. There is something called ethics, google this words!!! you'll be surprised what it means.
Female staff has to be present there to search females, a pregnant woman had to deliver baby elsewhere because of this idiot security setup.
When 99% of people are pious muslims in the land of the pure, what is the need for burqa/veil...?
To protect the women against pure muslim men ?
@Bilal: seriously mate? would u let ur wife or sister or mother to be body searched by a male security guard?
most of the guards are retired army men, all their lives they are taught only one lesson obey the command obey the command, they don't even know if they are doing it right or wrong, they know they have to obey the command, these guards supervisor might have forgotten to instruct them to not to do body search on women , guards don't have brain or they don't use human intelligence what is right or wrong
How would a guard or anoyone know if the body in a burkah is that of a male or female without being shown the evidence?
The guard should be thrashed in public! Search a pregnant lady? This doesnt even happen in the US. At least he should have called a female guard or nurse! Don't know how people could side with him!
Misleading title??
He asked her to just show her face, not to do a actual body search.
Unless showing face for a fraction of a second is considered a body search in pakistan.
The guards of our country are not trained in interpersonal skills. Nor are they taught about job responsibilities.
This is a failure of the hospital's management.
what a country we live in, We protest against those who do their jobs properly and favor those who break laws.