Minor child torture case: DNA test to be conducted to confirm girl’s parents

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The torture case of a minor child took another twist when two different persons came to the fore claiming that Tayyaba — the little girl who was allegedly tortured while working at the residence of Additional Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan, was their daughter.

In order to ascertain the truth, a four-member medical board headed by Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal, Director, Burn Care Center, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), has been constituted.

Talking to Pakistan Today, PIMS Administrator Dr Altaf said that a four-member medical board has been constituted to identify the parents of Tayyaba, as there were two families claiming that she was their daughter.

He said that all the arrangements have been made to conduct her NDA test but she was not brought to the hospital on Friday.

Tayyaba has mysteriously disappeared along with her father Mohammad Azam on Thursday after the Supreme Court summoned them following an out of court settlement between the two families. The whereabouts of the girl and her father are still not known.

Dr Altaf said that blood samples of two different persons claiming to be the parents of Tayyaba, who were identified as Zafar and Farzana, residents of Faisalabad, were taken.

Similarly, he said that blood sample of another woman namely Kausar Bibi and her sister were also taken.

However, he said that the medical board could not proceed the case until Tayyaba is not been produced and her blood sample is not received.

To a question, he said that blood sample of the parent who reached an out of settlement with the judge family could not be taken because they were not brought to the hospital.

Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar— headed a two-member bench hearing the suo moto case, asked the police official, “Where is Tayyaba?” However, Islamabad advocate general was clueless about her whereabouts and said Tayyaba could not be found; however a medical board comprising doctors from PIMS had been constituted to carry out her medical examination.

Justice Saqib Nisar said that if the child is not present how the medical examination can take place, adding that the whereabouts of Tayyaba should be found and she should be presented before the court.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar directed the police to use modern methods of investigation to complete the probe by Wednesday and present findings.

CJP Nisar remarked, “No ‘agreements’ can be reached in matters concerning fundamental human rights.”

“Even parents cannot deny children their fundamental rights,” the judge observed. “How did they reach a settlement on torture against the child?

CJP Nisar was referring to affidavits submitted in court earlier this week after the father of the girl ‘forgave’ her alleged tormentors, Additional Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife, Maheen Zafar.

In the affidavits, the girl’s father Mohammad Azam, her mother Nusrat Bibi and her aunt Pathani Bibi had stated, “I reached a settlement with Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife Maheen Zafar with my free will and hence forgiving them unconditionally.”

The apex court ordered the DIG Operations Islamabad to form and head an investigative committee to probe the case. Expressing trust in the police, the court ordered them to bring the truth to light.

 

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