Daily Times

Another case of domestic violence against a child maid emerged on Saturday after a video went viral on social media.

In the video, 11-year-old Kenza Bashir could be seen complaining against gruesome treatment by the owners of a house in Rawalpindi. The owners of the house would beat Kenza Bashir with a waist belt and rope, it emerged in the video of the survivor shared on social media. She was taken back to her native town of Samundari by her father.

After the video went viral on social media and condemnation by the users, the CCPO Rawalpindi took up the matter and suspended an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) over flawed investigation. Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari took to Twitter to share the details of the case. “We will be following it to ensure FIR registration and further action. Child is Kenza Bashir. Her father initially denied violence happened. Now an ASI has been suspended for wrong investigation,” Mazari said in her tweet. “A police team has been sent to Samundri to bring back the child and her parents. After medical examination an FIR will be registered,” the minister stated further. “Army has also been informed as the suspect is an Army doctor. We are keeping a close eye to ensure justice for the little girl.”

Mazari’s response came after a number of Twitter users tagged her in the video and images of the minor girl, and demanded action over it. The minister had earlier said on Twitter that they had been working on the case since Saturday morning. In December 2016, ten-year-old housemaid Tayyaba was allegedly tortured by a former additional and sessions judge and his wife.

Published in Daily Times, October 21^st 2018.