BAHAWALPUR: Bahawalpur Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Ashiq on Wednesday handed down 20-year rigorous imprisonment, along with a one million rupees fine, to a seminary teacher for sexual harassment and attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl student at Sohanra Arian village in the limits of Musafirkhana police station in 2023.

According to the prosecution, the daughter of one Malik Usman used to go to Qari Abdul Aziz (60) for learning the Holy Quran.

On Feb 26, 2023, when the complainant’s daughter did not return home from the seminary, Usman along with some others went to the teacher’s room (at the seminary) and found him sexually abusing the girl.

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The girl told her father that Qari had been abusing her sexually for some time. The police, on Usman’s complaint, registered FIR No 122/23 under section 377-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the convict and arrested him.

The judge also ordered that in case of default on payment of the fine, the convict will have to under go an additional imprisonment for six months.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2024