ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday criticised the police and the criminal justice system for “failing to protect weakest members of society”, a local media outlet reported.
The court was hearing a review petition filed by former additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Raja Khurram Ali and his spouse Maheen Zafar over the alleged torture of a young housemaid.
The court said that Industrial Area Police Station SHO Khalid Mehmood Awan did not take the required actions after he first received complaint on December 28, 2016.
The two-member bench observed that Awan only moved the child from the judge’s house after the issue went viral on social media.
The court observed that the officer only moved the child after seeking permission from the former judge and shifted her to an undisclosed location to record a statement rather than to a hospital for medical assistance. In addition, she was asked leading questions motivated to draw responses that favoured the accused.
The child made similar remarks when she was taken to hospital but changed her narrative when she was presented before female magistrate Nisha Ishtirak.
The bench observed that action was only taken after the issue became viral on social media and the courts had to take notice.
The bench remarked that legal action must be taken against the police officer because even minor failure to protect the weak from the strong must be dealt with sternly.