Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday has ordered to send ten-year-old maid Tayyaba to Sweet Homes until the confirmation of real parents.
Torture on minor maid has spotlighted rampant child labour in the country. After social media images allegedly showing injuries to the girl’s face and hands went viral, the top court intervened and ordered a full investigation.
During the hearing of suo moto case, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar asked Tayyaba‘s father Azam: “Did you forgive the judge and his family?” over which he said that he had signed a paper with thumb impression on the instructions of lawyer without knowing that it was a pardon affidavit.
He told the court that Nadra bibi took the girl to Faisalabad for work.
CJP has ordered the investigation officers to submit record of case along with suspect Maheen Zafar’s pre-arrest bail copy today and directed the police to present the final report in ten days.
Meanwhile, DIG sought time for investigation which was abruptly rejected by the court.
Earlier, Tayyaba was found onSunday in the suburbs of the capital Islamabad and taken for a medical examination.
"She shows signs of torture," Javed Akram, head of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital said.
"Our medical board has observed multiple injuries, burns, blunt injuries and bruises on the child’s face," he said.
"She has burn marks on her back and on the left hand. She also has a blunt wound on her face. All her wounds are healing."
Another doctor said on condition of anonymity that the child, employed by a district judge in Islamabad, had changed her statement several times.
Media reports said she initially claimed she fell down the stairs and burnt her hands by accident, later telling police she was beaten and had her hands burned on a stove by the judge’s wife.
