Rights Watch | 5th June 2020

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Rights Watch

2 Women & Minor Raped

Two women in the Islamabad Capital Territory were raped on separate occasions. In the first incident, a student from Azad Jammu and Kashmir had been lured by an online friend to his home in G-9/3 where she was offered a spiked drink. According to the victim, she was knocked out after consuming the drink, and upon waking up realized she had been sexually assaulted. The assailant had also taken compromising pictures of her to blackmail her into silence and then continued to assault her.

In the second incident, an entrepreneur in the Lui Bheer area of the city fell into a quarrel with her business partner regarding their business’ finances at her home. Incensed, the victim claimed her business partner threatened her with a knife and then proceeded to rape her. The suspect also took compromising photographs of the victim and threatened to release them online.

According to police, both suspects have been arrested and are being charged with PPC section 376 (punishment for rape).

Meanwhile, a minor girl from Lahore was gang-raped by her neighbors in the Ichhra locality some 2 weeks ago. According to the victim’s father, his daughter, a third-grader, was lured by her neighbor Shahzad to his home were two others, Usman and Arsalan, were waiting. The trio then proceeded to rape the minor and then threatened her with dire consequences should she inform anyone about the incident. The girl was scared into silence, however, family members noticed that she appeared frightened and would often cry. Upon coaxing the child, the girl revealed what had transpired.

The girl’s father lodged an FIR against the accused on June 4, however, police have yet to apprehend any suspects.

Minor Domestic Servant Tortured

Lui Bheer police in Islamabad apprehended a couple on Thursday, June 4, for torturing and locking up a seven year old domestic servant in their home. The police had initially been tipped off about the abuse and approached the homeowner, who led police inside to discover the minor girl covered in torture marks and crying out in pain. The girl bore fresh bruises on her limbs and legs, and alleged her employers had beaten her with a club before locking her inside and leaving. Police have arrested and booked the couple under PPC sections 328 and 342.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi police managed to recover harrowing footage of the torture doled out to Zahra, a minor domestic servant who had been beaten to death by her employers, Hassan Siddiqui and Umme Kulsoom, for accidentally releasing a pair of exotic parrots while cleaning their cage two days prior. According to investigators, footage and photos found on the accused couple’s cellphone showed the girl being beaten and humiliated, including being locked up inside a birdcage.

Woman Kills Daughters, Attempts Suicide

A Muzaffargarh woman killed her two daughters by making them ingest kaala pathar (phenylenediamine) and was left critical after her own suicide attempt by ingesting the same poisonous chemical commonly found in hair dyes. The woman is currently under treatment at the tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital while police are still investigating the issue. According to the family, the incident came to pass after the woman’s husband refused her request to have solar panels installed due to constant power outages.