ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an out-of-court settlement between the suspects and parents of a minor girl Tayyaba, who was employed at the residence of a former additional district and sessions judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and was brutally tortured by her employers. A three-member Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah also directed the authorities concerned to collect the evidence and submit before it by Feb 15. Rejecting the application about the out-of-court settlement, the apex court held that the out-of-court settlement lacked merit and no legal status as the case was adjudication. The court expressed dismay over an inordinate delay in the trial. Earlier on Monday, the court had sought an explanation from the registrar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over the inordinate delay in the trial. Counsel for former additional sessions judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan stated that the case was still unresolved and lying pending as a bench of the IHC had refused to accept an out-of-court settlement between the accused and the parents of the minor girl. The chief justice had rejected this argument of the counsel observing that when parents or legal heirs of a person remain failed to fulfil their obligations or moral duties, the court has to take their place at any cost under the certain provisions of the constitution. To a court’s query that whether the accused additional sessions judge was suspended, the counsel stated that his client was on bail. According to details, the case of 10-year-old Tayyaba, a domestic worker at the home of former additional district and sessions judge of Raja Khurram Ali and his wife Maheen Khurram, first came to light after photos of the child depicting alleged torture by her employers began circulating on social media. On December 28, 2016, Tayyaba was rescued from their residence with visible wounds and a first information report was filed against her employers on December 29, 2016 on the hue and cry on the social media. On Jan 2, 2017, Raja Khurram Ali reached a compromise with Tayyaba’s parents and the girl was handed over to them. However, on Jan 4, 2017, the chief justice of Pakistan took a suo motu notice of the matter and directed police to investigate all aspects of the case. Later, while hearing the case on January 11, 2017, the Supreme Court observed that the role of a lawyer, Raja Zahoor Hassan, was questionable with regards to an ‘illegitimate compromise’ reached between the suspects and the family of Tayyaba. The court directed police to investigate the ‘compromise deed’ and the other matters related to internal trafficking of child labourers. The court also observed that a criminal act was committed in the case. Later, the court rejected the police report over the case’ investigation terming it dissatisfactory and referred the case back to the IHC for further proceedings and consequent disposing of. Published in Daily Times, January 10th 2018.