The Ministry of Human Rights on Monday decided principally to extend legal support to National Commission for Human Rights to become party in a case relating to Tayyaba, a 10-year-old maid who was allegedly been tortured at the home of Additional District and Session Judge Islamabad, Raja Khurram Ali Khan. The National Commission for Human Rights called for a meeting of civil society organisations to discuss progress in Tayyaba's case.
Member of National Commission for Human Rights Muhammad Shafiq expressed that the NCRH is in contact with the investigation authorities and pursuing the case properly, adding that so for three medical examinations of Tayyaba have been conducted. Human Rights Advocate Sharafat A Chaudhry while representing the Ministry of Human Rights said that under Section 9(b) of National Commission for Human Rights Act, the NCHR is empowered to intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before the court and become a party to proceedings by filing application in Tayyaba's case.
Sharafat A Chaudhry said that relevant provisions of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) have intentionally been not added in the first information report (FIR). Section 328-A is about cruelty to child, which was added in the PPC through Criminal Law Second Amendment Act, 2016 and is one of the most relevant sections which has been ignored.
Sharafat further explained that medical report of Tayyaba has disclosed multiple burn and other injuries which attract sections 336A and 336B of the PPC stating that hurt by means of a corrosive substance which is deleterious to human body when it is swallowed or inhaled is offence with punishable up to life imprisonment whereas the offence is non-bailable and non-compoundable.
The Ministry of Human Rights, representative of civil society organisations including the Child Rights Movement (CRM) and National Group against Violence against Children (NACG) also participated in the meeting and emphasised that the NCHR should become a party in the case to assist the prosecution. However the member NCHR informed the participants that Commission will hear the matter on January 11 and decided whether it will become party to the case or it will hold its independent proceedings.