MULTAN: An eight-year-old Mahnoor Fatima, who was brutally thrashed, tortured and hanged with a rope for going out of a class without permission by a cleric of a religious seminary at Qadir Pur Raan in Multan, died on Tuesday at the Nishtar Hospital.
Reportedly, girl’s family protested in front of the hospital, and appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar to take a suo motu notice of the incident.
Her father Muhammad Jameel revealed that the police had earlier arrested the accused Qari Abdul Haq of Madrassah Ameer Muawiya, but later released him without any investigation into the incident. He further accused doctors of the Nishtar Hospital of committing severe negligence in providing proper treatment to her daughter.
“Police arrested the cleric after the media raised the incident, but later set him free,” Jameel said.
The girl’s body was paralysed six days ago when she was rushed to the District Hospital Multan in a state of unconsciousness, but later doctors recommended shifting her to the Nishtar Hospital due to her precarious condition.
Later, the Qadirpur Rawan police station officers assured the protestors that an action would be taken against the accused according to the law. Police said that the cleric was released on bail while further investigation into the incident was underway.
Meanwhile, the protesters ended their agitation.
The Multan Division Commissioner Nadeem Irshad Kiyani has constituted a three-member committee to probe into the death of Mahnoor Fatima.
The committee members include Multan Additional Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner and Dr Kashaf Chishti. Kiyani further ordered that the factual report of the incident should be submitted within three days by the team.
The report will also indicate whether or not the girl died due to negligence of doctors. He said that a stern action would be taken against the culprits after the report was concluded.
Published in Daily Times, August 8th 2018.