10-year-old child with disabilities raped in Okara: police
Survivor's family files complaint at citizens' portal
Artwork by SAMAA Digital
A 10-year-old child with disabilities was raped in Okara, the police said Monday.
According to her mother, on June 21, a relative and neighbour, identified as Kamran Razzak, broke into their house and raped the child threatening her with a dagger.
“My husband was at work and I was at the neighbour’s house when the crime was committed,” she told the police, adding that the suspect fled from the scene.
Rizwan Ghaffar, the 10-year-old’s father, filed a complaint at the B Division police station. An FIR under sections 376 (Punishment for rape) and 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for shorter terms) of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered.
The suspect was arrested on June 24 and sent to jail on judicial remand.
On Monday [July 19], the child’s mother, Sadia Rizwan, called the Pakistan Citizens Portal’s helpline and complained that investigating officer Umar Farooq took a Rs15,000 bribe from the family.
“We are very poor and can’t afford to pay more money,” she said. “Prime Minister Imran Khan, you told us to trust the police but these officers will never work justly.”
Saadia added that the suspect and two of his accomplices misbehaved with her and have been blackmailing her for more than two months. “They raped my daughter when I threatened to tell my husband.”
Taking notice of the assault, the PM issued suspension orders of the officer on account of “misconduct and inefficiency” and instructed authorities to probe the crime and punish the perpetrators.
Carry out a transparent investigation into the matter and keep the PM Office informed about it, he stressed.
