‘Battered and broken’: Rizwana’s wounds cast light on child labor in Pakistan

The undated blurred photo shows child abuse victim Rizwana undergoing treatment at Lahore’s General Hospital. (Photo courtesy: social media)
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Updated 16 August 2023
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‘Battered and broken’: Rizwana’s wounds cast light on child labor in Pakistan

  • Wife of civil judge arrested over accusations she tortured 14-year-old maid in case that has unleashed widespread calls for justice
  • Rizwana is admitted at Lahore’s General Hospital with sepsis, broken bones and wounds all over her body, needs multiple surgeries

LAHORE: Fourteen-year-old Rizwana was brought to a hospital in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on July 24 with multiple head injuries, open wounds and broken bones across her body, and sepsis, a deadly immune response triggered by infection. She was unable to breathe on her own, or eat and speak.

Her family says the girl's condition was the culmination of six months of abuse and torture she was subjected to at the home of a civil judge in Islamabad where she worked as a maid, earning Rs10,000 ($34) a month. The case, for weeks the subject of outraged news headlines, has put the spotlight on Pakistan’s child labor and trafficking practices, often considered symptoms of poverty, with desperately poor families selling their children for work.

Child labor was banned in Pakistan in 2020 and it is illegal for children to work in factories and other industries. However, there are still about 12 million child workers in the country, according to the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC). Many come from Pakistan’s poorest regions, either through middlemen, shadowy job placement agencies or by kidnapping, and work as domestic staff in private homes where monitoring working conditions or detecting abuse is difficult for authorities. Public attitudes towards child labor are also usually permissive in a society where even in the lowest rungs of the middle class, families often have at least one live-in servant.

But Rizwana’s case has captured the public imagination and unleashed widespread cries for justice. The main suspect, Somia Asism, the wife of civil judge Asim Hafeez, was arrested this week after initially getting bail.

Rizwana, meanwhile, was shifted from the ICU to a private ward on August 8, her ordeal far from over.

“This was the first time I started to believe that the likes of us can get justice as well,” Rizwana’s mother, Shameem Bibi, told Arab News at the Lahore General Hospital. “The poor are not human at all. Nobody treats us like human beings.”

Bibi, who has nine other children and whose husband is a daily wage laborer, said Asim had contacted her multiple times since the police complaint was registered, offering huge sums of money to drop the charges. 

Lawyers for Asim, who has pleaded innocence, could not be reached for comment despite several attempts. 

“She said, ‘You are never going to win even if you keep going [to courts] for the next twenty years, so take the money’,” Bibi said. “But I didn’t want money, I want justice for my daughter.”

The horrors Rizwana recalls are unspeakable, including being starved for five days in a row and her head being repeatedly beaten against the floor, apparently as punishment for behaviour that displeased her employers.

The mother said when she first saw Rizwana in Islamabad at the bus stop where Asim had come to hand her back to her family, she was missing teeth and her head was bandaged. Her face, covered in wounds and smashed in, was “difficult even to look at,” Bibi said.

At the time, the family did not know that an infection was slowly spreading through the girl's body because of untreated wounds all over her body.

“PROLONGED TORTURE”

A 12-member medical board led by Dr. Jodat Saleem, a renowned professor of anesthesia, ICU and pain management, was constituted last month to devise a treatment and recovery plan for Rizwana at Lahore’s General Hospital, with two plastic surgeons recently added to help with reconstructive surgery.

“There are signs of prolonged periods of torture, old wounds that were never allowed to heal,” Dr Saleem told Arab News, saying the child was subjected to “forced malnutrition” because of which her body stopped producing white blood cells and platelets, severely weakening her immune system.

Weeks-old fractures on her arms, legs and nasal bone and a wound on her back, among various other injuries, had nor been treated, leading to the development of an infection that spread to the child’s lungs and heart.

“The heart is better, but the lung problem continues, which is why we will need intermittent oxygen support,” Dr Saleem said.

A nasal bone fracture, a skull fracture, and torn lips also needed intervention:

“We had to close the wounds on her face first … Today [Wednesday] we are going to clean the head and back wounds, and she will undergo a second surgery.”

The “parameters of infection” were improving, the professor added, but Rizwana would likely need six reconstructive surgeries. Her immunity, he said, was “extremely compromised,” which made it very difficult to provide a timeline for her recovery process.

Lahore-based lawyer Faisal Jatt, who is representing Rizwana’s family, said CCTV footage of Asim putting the girl in her car to drive her to a bus station in Islamabad as well as of Rizwana waiting for her mother at the station on July 23, clearly showed her trauma.

“You can clearly see the bandages, signs of injuries, the child was unable to walk to the bus, the bus driver had to carry her in,” Jatt said.

Rizwana’s father Manga Khan said she was “battered and broken” when the family picked her up from the bus station.

“Her legs and arms were broken, her head was damaged, the skin on her head was torn,” he said. 

The girl’s face had been covered with a cloth when the car dropped her off.

“When my wife removed the cloth and saw [her face], it was in a bad state.”

“NOT RARE”

Rizwana’s case, however harrowing, is hardly unique.

The brutal death of eight-year-old maid Zohra Shah in 2020 also caused outrage in Pakistan, prompting the government to change legislation governing child labor and ban the practice. In another case, a 10-year-old maid was tortured by her employers, a judge and his wife, in 2016 in a much-publicized case that saw the judge barred from legal practice. The three-year jail term imposed on him and his wife was later reduced to one year, however.

Perhaps the most publicized case of child labor in Pakistan was Iqbal Masih, sold by his parents at age 4 and shackled to a carpet loom for almost six years, earning one rupee a day. When Masih escaped, he owed his boss 13,000 rupees and went on to win international acclaim for highlighting the horrors of child labor in Pakistan. He was shot dead when he was 12 after receiving several death threats from people in the carpet industry angered by his comments about child labor.

Doctors and social workers said they hoped Rizwana would have a better future.

“We are making a long-term rehabilitation plan for her,” Dr Al Fareed Zafar, another senior doctor treating Rizwana, told reporters this week. “We need to give her education, teach her some skills so that she can go on and live her own life, a better life.”

Ehtsham Arshad, an officer with Punjab’s Child Protection and Welfare Bureau which has legal custody of Rizwana until she is discharged from hospital, said she would have to undergo trauma counseling and therapy. The plan was to move her to a district office in Faisalabad for mental and physical rehabilitation, then to Sargodha, her hometown, where the government would pay for her education.

The Bureau has rescued 78,753 children from abuse, exploitation, and being driven to the streets without a legal guardian since it was established in 2005.

“Each month we see around 200-300 children in need of rescue in Lahore alone, half of these cases involve child labor abuse,” Arshad said. “This [Rizwana's] is a very publicized but unfortunately not a rare case of violence against child laborers.”

Still, the girl's mother is adamant she will get justice for her daughter.

“God is with the poor,” Bibi said. “My god Inshallah will help me. She [Asim] will be punished.”


T20 Blind Cricket World Cup kicks off in Pakistan today sans India’s participation

Updated 6 sec ago
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T20 Blind Cricket World Cup kicks off in Pakistan today sans India’s participation

  • Pakistan’s blind cricket team to take on South Africa in Lahore today
  • India failed to secure clearance from government to travel to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The fourth T20 Blind Cricket World Cup will kick off today, Saturday, with Pakistan set to face South Africa in the eastern city of Lahore, state-run media reported days after India pulled out of the tournament.
The T20 Blind Cricket World Cup is scheduled to be held in Pakistan from Nov. 23-Dec. 3. As per Radio Pakistan, the tournament will feature blind cricket teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal and Afghanistan.  
“In the Fourth edition of the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup, the opening match will be played between South Africa and Pakistan in Lahore today,” Radio Pakistan said. 
India was also scheduled to take part in the tournament but the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced on Wednesday that its blind cricket team was withdrawing from the event, citing its failure to secure clearance from New Delhi to travel to Pakistan. 
Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have restricted cultural exchanges and bilateral sports events between the two nations.
Both countries have fought three wars, two of them over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
India withdrew its blind cricket team from the tournament with a little over three months left before the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is also set to be held in Pakistan in February/March next year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) this month that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
The ICC informed the PCB of the BCCI’s decision, following which Pakistan demanded an explanation from the cricket governing body. Pakistan has repeatedly insisted it will not agree for the tournament to be shifted to another country and has insisted India travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all of India’s games were played in Sri Lanka under a “hybrid” hosting model for the tournament. Several months later, Pakistan traveled to India for the 50-over World Cup.


Pakistani authorities block roads and motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest

Updated 35 min 39 sec ago
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Pakistani authorities block roads and motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest

  • Jailed Imran Khan’s party has called for a “long march” to Islamabad on Nov. 24 to demand his release
  • Motorway police say as per intelligence reports, protesters will be armed with sticks and slingshots

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has said that motorways across the country have been sealed from various areas to protect people’s lives ahead of a planned protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to Islamabad on Sunday.
Pakistani authorities sealed off major arteries and roads with shipping containers leading to Islamabad from the surrounding Rawalpindi city and other areas on Friday ahead of the PTI’s “long march” scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24.
In a notification released on Friday, the NHMP cited intelligence reports that protesters were planning to disrupt law and order in the capital, adding that they would be armed with sticks and slingshots.
“To prevent any untoward situation and to protect the lives of the people, motorways have been closed from various locations,” the NHMP said.
“The lives and property of the people will be guaranteed at all costs. Those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with strictly.”
Hours earlier, the NHMP had shared a notification on its social media platform X in which it had said that certain sections of the motorway were closed due to maintenance work. These sections were: M-1 Islamabad to Peshawar, M-2 Islamabad to Lahore, M-3 Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, M-4 Pindi Bhattian to Multan, M-14 Hakla to Yarik and M-11 Lahore to Sialkot.
As per local media reports, the Metro Bus service between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be suspended on Nov. 24 while a ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab from Nov. 23-25 ahead of the PTI’s march.
The PTI’s protest is primarily aimed at pressurizing the government to end Khan’s imprisonment which has lasted for over a year on what his party contends are politically motivated charges. The party also aims to raise its voice against alleged rigging in the Feb. 8 general elections while calling for measures to ensure judicial independence, which it says has been undermined by the 26th constitutional amendment. The government denies this. 
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s interior ministry had authorized the deployment of paramilitary Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps troops in Islamabad to maintain law and order.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.


Families of Pakistanis trapped in forced labor in Myanmar urge authorities to secure release

Updated 42 min 53 sec ago
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Families of Pakistanis trapped in forced labor in Myanmar urge authorities to secure release

  • Thirteen Pakistanis were allegedly lured with job offers and trafficked to Myanmar from Thailand
  • Families say captors torture them to lure others into cryptocurrency scams disguised as investments

ISLAMABAD: The families of 13 Pakistani nationals allegedly taken hostage by job scammers in Myanmar have appealed to authorities this week to secure their release, saying their loved ones are being confined to a compound, subjected to torture and forced to lure customers online for cryptocurrency scams.
The incident is part of a growing trend of Pakistanis falling victim to transnational criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia. In July this year, families of six other Pakistanis reported similar cases, claiming their relatives were held hostage by criminal gangs in Myanmar.
According to the families of the 13 individuals, including two women, they traveled to Thailand in March on valid work visas for a construction company, where they worked for two months. Subsequently, they were relocated to Laos and then Myanmar after their employer claimed to be moving operations.
The victims, who had completed short computer and IT courses, had prior experience in online jobs and were recruited by an agent in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
“They are now being held hostage in Myanmar, subjected to physical torture and sleep deprivation and forced to lure customers from Europe, America and Canada into cryptocurrency scams,” Danish Qamar, a resident of Wah Cantt in Punjab province, whose brother and nephew are among the trapped, told Arab News.
“They are tortured and made to work over 18 hours daily to trap people into fake cryptocurrency investments,” he added. “We have written applications to Pakistan’s foreign office and the Overseas Pakistani Foundation, but there has been no meaningful response.”
The issue of Myanmar’s criminal zones has also raised global concern, with the United States Institute of Peace reporting in November 2022 that these areas have been facilitating human trafficking, slavery and international fraud on a large scale.
Such criminal activities exploit vulnerable individuals, lured by the promise of high-paying jobs abroad, only to be trapped in forced labor and fraudulent operations.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s foreign office acknowledged reports of Pakistani citizens being detained by such networks in Myanmar, saying that its diplomatic mission in the Southeast Asian country was working with local authorities to secure their release. The foreign office also emphasized the need for a coordinated international response to combat human trafficking and transnational organized crime.
Asked about the 13 Pakistanis, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reiterated in a brief response to Arab News, “Our mission is in contact with the relevant authorities.”
However, she did not provide further details on the number of Pakistanis held or the measures being taken for their release.
According to the families, the 13 individuals have been trapped in Myanmar for about 20 days. Efforts to seek help from Pakistani missions in Myanmar and Thailand have proven futile, as officials reportedly cited limited access to the “lawless” border regions where the victims are being held.
“Officials say this is a lawless area, but the scammers have all the facilities like the Internet and electricity to run their operations,” said Maqsood Sadiq, the father of Suleman, 20, one of the hostages.
“We urge the government to act immediately to secure their release,” he added.


Pakistan PM forms committee to resolve tensions with key coalition ally

Updated 23 November 2024
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Pakistan PM forms committee to resolve tensions with key coalition ally

  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar key members of committee
  • PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari last week criticized federal government for imposing Internet restrictions, other issues

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week formed a committee to resolve tensions between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition ally of the government, state-run media reported. 
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly lashed out at the PML-N-led government last week, regretting its decision to block virtual private networks (VPNs) across the country. Authorities say the measures are meant to deter militants and other suspects who use VPNs to conceal their identities and spread “anti-state propaganda” and promote “blasphemous” or other illegal content online.
Speaking to journalists at his party’s media cell, the PPP chairman had also criticized the government for approving a project to construct new canals on the Indus River, saying the decision had been taken without consulting his party. 
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to resolve issues between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and to foster cooperation on political and other matters,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday. 
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema are members of the committee. 
It also includes Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique, Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, and Bashir Ahmed Memon, it added. 
“The Prime Minister has assigned the committee the responsibility of having detailed consultation with the PPP to ensure political collaboration and resolve the issues,” Radio Pakistan said. 
It added that the committee would hold talks with members nominated by the PPP to discuss the future course of action between the two parties. 
The PPP is a major coalition ally of the coalition government which also voted Sharif into power after the contentious national election in February. While it is not part of the federal government, the PPP has its government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. 
Sharif’s government has relied on the PPP’s crucial votes in parliament to pass the national budget and key constitutional amendments earlier this year.


Senior political leader shot dead amid escalating militancy in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 22 November 2024
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Senior political leader shot dead amid escalating militancy in Pakistan’s northwest

  • Mashaal Azad, a PPP leader in Lakki Marwat, was ambushed while going for Friday prayers
  • Attack occurred the day Pakistan’s army chief was in Peshawar to discuss security situation

PESHAWAR: Amid a string of deadly attacks that have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security officials in Pakistan’s northwest, unidentified gunmen on Friday shot dead a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the volatile Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police said.
The restive district, a hotspot of militant activity, witnessed unprecedented protests in September when police officers, joined by civil society members and tribal elders, staged sit-ins and blocked the Indus Highway.
The demonstrations followed a spate of militant attacks that killed several policemen, prompting demands for enhanced security measures and greater autonomy for the law enforcement agency in counterterrorism operations.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone, the police spokesperson in the district, Shahid Marwat, said the slain PPP leader Mashaal Azad was heading toward Sarai Gambila, a rundown locality on the outskirts of the district’s center, for Friday prayers when he was ambushed by gunmen.
“Mashaal Azad was killed by unidentified bike riders on the Canal Road near Kajoori Hotel within the limits of Sarai Gambila police station,” Marwat said.
The incident occurred on the day Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir was visiting Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, where he vowed action against militants and reiterated the army’s firm resolve to dismantle hostile militant networks.
The killing also follows a gun attack on a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in the Kurram tribal district a day earlier, leaving more than 40 people dead.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, 10 Pakistan army soldiers and two members of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were killed when militants attacked a checkpost in the northwestern Bannu district.
Rabnawaz Marwat, a tribal elder in Lakki Marwat, said the late PPP leader was a long-time and senior party figure who had been a strong voice against militancy in the region.
“Late Azad had served as a member of the provincial council of PPP,” he informed. “He had also served as a student leader of PPP in Lakki Marwat. In addition, he was an active tribal elder who played a leading role in dispute resolution in the region.”
According to the police spokesperson, a report of the incident has been lodged against unidentified persons, and further investigations will be initiated.
“It is mentioned in the report that late Azad had no personal enmity with anyone in the area,” he said. “It seems to be an act of targeted attack by terrorists.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of civil and military leaders to review the country’s security situation, during which it was agreed to take action against those involved in militant violence.