Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday took suo motu notice over the beating of a maid, who was a minor working in the house of a serving sessions judge. The chief justice of Pakistan directed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar to submit a report of the incident within 24 hours.

The issue came to light through social media that a 10-year-old maid was enslaved and inhumanely treated by Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife. The minor maid was allegedly beaten up brutally and her hands were burnt by the wife of Sessions Judge Islamabad Raja Khurram Ali Khan.

IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi in December of last year took notice of the incident and directed IHC Registrar Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan to complete the inquiry. The registrar summoned the judge, the Industrial Area station house officer along with the investigation officer and others last Friday.

The judicial officer was facing the inquiry for his alleged involvement in keeping a juvenile housemaid enslaved. The medico-legal officer of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in his report had stated that there was swelling and blackening of right upper and lower eyelid and superficial burn marks on the chest, scratch on the right side of the face and over the left ear.

The report also noted blunt and burn injuries and opined that the nature of the wounds constituted a case under Section 337 -A (i) and 337 – F (i) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

However, a day ago, both parties had submitted their conciliation consent in the court of law.

After the mutual concurrence, the court has accepted the bail of the wife of the sessions judge, against a surety bond of Rs 30,000, whereas the court also ordered to hand over the minor girl Tayyaba to her parents. The father of the girl in his affidavit said, “I reached an agreement with the judge Khurram without accepting any pressure. I have forgiven the accused and his wife in the name of God and have no objection on the acquittal of the accused.”

Separately, talking to a private TV channel, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Jahangir Khan Tareen said, “Today I promise with you that our party would pursue Tayyaba’s suo motu case in the Supreme Court. We will provide all out support to the minor girl. I will personally bear all her medical and educational expenses. We have to bring her out of the shock. I am ready to provide all her bills. I want her to study.”