ISLAMABAD: The father of 10-year-old Tayyaba, a child domestic employee who was allegedly abused by her employers, has submitted another affidavit to a local court claiming her employers did not torture her, bringing the case back to where it was at the start of the year.

Mohammad Azam, the child’s father, in the affidavit dismissed media reports about Tayyaba’s abuse, saying after looking into the matter he has concluded that both additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife Maheen Zafar were innocent.

He said the media misreported the facts of the case, and he has reserved the right to take action against journalists. Mr Azam said he did not want to pursue a case and would not object if the court granted bail to the suspects.

On Jan 2, the ADSJ reached a compromise with Tayyaba’s parents, on the basis of which Ms Zafar secured pre-arrest bail from the court of ADSJ Raja Asif Mehmood the same day. On Jan 3, ADSJ Atta Rabbani handed over custody of Tayyaba to her parents, and on Jan 4, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the matter.

Affidavit filed in local court claims media misreported facts of case, suspects are innocent

The court directed the police to investigate the case from every aspect, and on a subsequent hearing on Jan 11, observed that the role of Chakwal-based lawyer Raja Zahoor Hassan – who began a practice in Islamabad a couple of years ago – was of key importance with regard to the “illegitimate” compromise between the suspects and the child’s family.

The court had also directed the police to investigate how the compromise deed was prepared, as well as matters related to internal trafficking.

In its report, the police focused only on the child’s abuse and the possible involvement of the suspects. On Jan 26, the SC expressed displeasure with the way the police investigated the case.

On Friday, Mr Zahoor once again brought Tayyaba to the court of ADSJ Mehmood and submitted a similar affidavit to that submitted earlier, on behalf of his client, Mr Azam. The court subsequently confirmed bail for ADSJ Khan and Ms Zafar.

The ADSJ was made an officer on special duty on Jan 12, and the Islamabad High Court constituted a one-person commission of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.

However, when the ADSJ arrived at the district court on Friday he received protocol from fellow judges, some of whom he later met in their chambers.

NA body calls on SC to bring Tayyaba’s abusers to justice

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights on Friday urged the Supreme Court to bring to justice those behind the abuse of Tayyaba, a 10 year old girl employed as a maid.

“We find it disturbing that Tayyaba’s father has forgiven those who brutally beat his child. If the wrongdoers walk away from torturing a child, it will send a wrong message; that anyone can get away with committing heinous offences,” the committee’s chairman, PML-N MNA Babar Nawaz Khan.

The meeting was held at Pakistan Sweet Homes, one of the largest orphanages in the country, at the request of its patron-in-chief Zammurd Khan.

The parliamentarians visited various parts of the orphanage and offered Mr Khan support to in his efforts to help orphans.

The committee members particularly empathised with Tayyaba, who lives in the facility. Her wounds have healed, but she still bears scars on her left cheek, near her right eye and on her left hand.

In December last year, the police recovered the injured child from the home of an Islamabad additional district and sessions judge, Raja Khurram Ali Khan. Tayyaba was allegedly beaten for not being able to repay a loan. The Supreme Court recently handed over Tayyaba to Mr Khan, so she would be housed at Pakistan Sweet Homes.

The chairman of the committee felt Tayyaba’s case had been rushed.

“It is obvious that Tayyaba’s father is either under some sort of pressure or has been threatened or paid to back off. It is imperative that the chief justice of Pakistan looks into the matter personally to bring to justice individuals who violated the law and tortured a child,” Mr Nawaz Khan said.

The committee has decided to ask parliament to amend child labour laws so cases of mistreatment and cruelty against children may be tried in anti-terrorism court.

“It is imperative that individuals and organisations that misuse children, especially orphans, to commit terrorism and are violent with them are severely punished by the courts,” the committee chairman said.

Echoing the sentiment, Zammurd Khan said justice would only be served when individuals who tortured Tayyaba are punished. He urged the committee to push parliament to approve the orphan registration act immediately, which would held the government take action against child beggar contractors in particular. He also offered material drafted by him help parliamentarians make the law.

Tayyaba also sat with committee members and officials from Sweet Homes, in the garden where the meeting was held. “I like it here. I have new friends,” she said, adding that she sometimes missed her parents.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2017