News Desk
Police’s inaction on the rape and murder of a minor girl has shocked the nation as many renowned political figures have not only visited the victim’s home but expressed sorrow and promised every possible help to bring the perpetrators to justice.
As the haunting details of the gruesome incident unfolded, it tells the story of a girl who was sexually abused before she was murdered and her body was left to decompose in the bushes in the jurisdiction of Chak Shahzad police station.
On Wednesday, Police have arrested a close relative of the 10-year old girl. The police said the suspect was arrested after being identified by other suspects taken into custody in connection with the case. The investigators have not revealed more details about the suspect but they said the scope of the investigation was widened. It is pertinent to mention that the police came into action only after the family held a protest at Tarmri Chow with the body of the girl. They held the police responsible for the rape and murder of the girl due to their negligence.
Read more: Is society responsible for Zainab tragedy?
The protest was called off after they were ensured that action would be taken against the Station House Officer (SHO) of Shehzad Town. DIG Operations Waqaruddin Syed suspended SHO and tasked SSP Umar Khan with investigating the case.
According to the DIG Operations, the police have found clues about the murderer and they would soon resolve the case. He said the aim of suspending the SHO was to ensure a transparent inquiry.
Policemen booked for negligence
Meanwhile, the police registered a case against the SHO Shahzad Town, Sub Inspector Muhammad Abbas Rana and other police officials for negligence in the case.
The victim’s father, Ghulam Nabi, registered the First Information Report at the Shahzad Town police station under Section 166 (public servant disobeying the law with intent to cause injury to any person) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
In the FIR, Nabi said that the family members approached the police station a number of times seeking help in finding the minor girl. However, instead of registering an FIR against her disappearance and searching the missing girl, the policemen made the family members clean the police station. Nabi said that the SHO, instead of lodging a case, conjectured that the 10-year-old girl must have run away with someone.
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On May 20, a four-day-old body was recovered, whom Nabi had identified by her clothes. She had gone missing on May 15. It was reported that the results of a post-mortem examination were awaited, and samples have also been taken for a DNA test to confirm the victim’s identity.
Police said samples taken from the body and the site where the victim was found were being tested to ascertain whether she was subjected to gang rape and torture, as alleged by the family.
Political figures express grief over the incident, demand immediate action
Many renowned political figures of Pakistan visited the victim’s home and expressed grief over the incident and extended every possible help to bring the perpetrators to justice. PML-N vice president Maryan Nawaz Sharif, Senator Sherry Rehman and Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq, among others, visited the victim’s home to share their sorrow.
Govt has failed to protect children and police is protecting the criminals instead of the victims. Is this Insaf in PTI led govt?
Sen @sherryrehman meets #Farishta family and demands #JusticeForFarishta #StopChildAbuse pic.twitter.com/biAddUiAsU— Samana Malaika Raza (@MalaikaSRaza) May 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/TalhaGhouri786/status/1131160682852954112
ہر گھر میں فرشتہ کی صورت میں ایک پیاری بیٹی موجود ہے۔ جان مال آبرو کا تحفظ حکومت کی بنیادی ذمہ داری ہے، جس میں وہ بری طرح ناکام ہے۔ معصوم فرشتہ اللہ کی عدالت میں حکومت، پولیس اور عدالتی نظام کے خلاف فریاد بن کر گئی ہے۔ قتل ہوتی بیٹیوں کے سامنے پوری قوم شرمندہ ہے۔
— Siraj ul Haq (@SirajOfficial) May 21, 2019
پولیس کی مجرمانہ غفلت کے باعث یہ اندوہناک سانحہ پیش آیا۔ وقت پر ایف آئی آر درج کرکے اقدامات اٹھائے جاتے تو فرشتہ کے قتل ناحق سے بچا جا سکتا تھا۔ ملزمان کو فوری گرفتار کیا جائے، سپیڈی ٹرائل کے ذریعے انصاف ہوتا نظر آنا چاہیے۔
— Siraj ul Haq (@SirajOfficial) May 21, 2019
دن دہاڑے معصوم بچوں اور بچیوں کواغوا کرنے کے بعد ان کو قتل کر کے لاشیں کوڑے کے ڈھیروں پر پھینکی جا رہی ہیں۔ معصوم بیٹی فرشتہ کے ساتھ پیش آنے والا سانحہ پہلا نہیں ہے، ایسے شرمناک مظالم مسلسل منظر عام پر آ رہے ہیں۔ حکومت کہاں ہے؟ قانون نافذ کرنے والے ادارے کہاں ہیں؟
— Siraj ul Haq (@SirajOfficial) May 21, 2019
Previous cases in Pakistan
Many such cases still haunt the minds of people of Pakistan and every going day a new case emerges where humanity is shredded at the hands of such animals. Kasur mass child abuse case was still fresh in the minds of people when innocent Fatima was brutally raped and murdered and was found in a dumpster.
Fatima case sparked a series of violent protests all across the country and finally, with much effort, the perpetrator who was close to family was caught and was served capital punishment.
There is a dire need for strict laws against such cases and educational reforms if the country wants to step out of this mentality and curb such cases for good.