7 December 2022
By Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE: In a shocking allegation of incest rape, a 14-year-old girl M*, a resident of Muridke, has accused her real father, Khaild Pervez of repeatedly raping her for over a year.
“My father has been raping me since last one year, and he threatened to kill me if I refused or if I told anyone about it,” revealed the rape survivor in an FIR. “He told me that if I told anyone he would behead me as he had done my mother.”
Three years ago, the accused Khalid Pervez had been convicted by a Sessions’ court for murdering his wife on the pretext of so-called ‘honour’. Later however he had been pardoned by the complainant who was also his brother-in-law so that he could take care of his children. According to information, Pervez had married twice and has a total of 10 children – five from each wife. The 14-year-old rape survivor was a child from his second wife.
The FIR for the rape allegation was filed on November 21, 2022, on the complaint of the rapesurvivor’s brother-in-law at the Police Station Saddar (Muridke), under the Anti Rape Act – Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Since then the accused has been under the custody of the police. However, the police have still not formally arrested him even two weeks after the incident.
Speaking to Voicepk.net, SHO Saddar Muridke, Imran Khalid, said that the matter was being investigated from ‘all angles’, however, he failed to give any details of the investigation so far. The police have not even produced the rape survivor before a magistrate to record her statement under Section 164 of CrPC, even though the SHO says that if the rape survivor does want to record her statement before the magistrate, the police would facilitate her.
It should be noted that as per law, it is the duty of the police to produce the rape survivor before the magistrate to record a statement under Section 164 of CrPC. The police say that it has conducted the medical examination of the girl through THQ Muridke but it has still not shared the report with the complainant.
The complainant blames the police for siding with the accused and trying to hush up the matter.
Meanwhile, thet legal case is with Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell (AGHS) which will be providing free legal aid to the rape survivor and is in contact with the police authorities to ensure a transparent inquiry into this case.
The rape survivor and three of her other siblings are at present in the custody of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab.