Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the arms of a 10-year-old child were chopped off by a landlord over a minor issue with his father’s payment of electricity bills. His hands were tied and were put in a harvesting machine. Police did not take action for two days and provided impunity to the landlord until a media outlet gave hours of extensive coverage. The Chief Minister of the Punjab province, as is his routine, issued a press release saying that he has taken serious notice of the incident and has ordered the authorities to provide all best medical treatment to the child. However, the child is still in bad condition; his parents, poor farmers, have to purchase medicine and other requirements for the treatment on their own. It is also known that the suspect has been provided significant comforts in the police station.
The child belongs to the poor family, has been deprived of basic medical treatment and the right to register a legal case in the police station. In Pakistan, the powerful and rich people know how to manipulate the law in their favour and escape prosecution. It is very rare in that persons accused of heinous crimes get punished.
CASE NARRATIVE: (The information received is from Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) and from the uncle of the victim.)
There was a petty dispute, over an electricity bill between the landlord and the father of the victim, (Master Tabassum Shahzad, 10 years old, student of class five) one week before. Both parties have adjacent fields. The accused party own 23-25 acres of land, while victim party is poor and owns just 2-3 acre of land
On 21 July 2014, at 10:30 am, the child, Shahzad, went to his family’s fields. The accused, landlord Mr. Ghulam Mustafa, was standing in his fields. The landlord called Shahzad over to the tube well (a peter engine installed in the open). When the child arrived the accused, caught him, over powered him, forcibly tied the hands of child from front side with a scarf, and put both hands in the running belt of a harvesting machine. The boy was stuck to the running belt and both of his arms were crushed, cut, and separated from his body.
Soon after, the perpetrator, Ghulam Mustafa, panicked, picked the unconscious and bleeding boy out of the machine and rushed him by motorbike to a private hospital of Gujrat, Punjab, 8-10 Km away from the town. It took half an hour to get to the hospital. Ghulam Mustafa told the hospital administration that it is just an accident. The boy underwent surgery. Meanwhile the parents, relatives, and other local people arrived with the separated, ruptured limbs, but doctors said the arms cannot be reattached.
When the child regained consciousness after the operation, Ghulam Mustafa came back to the hospital; the child started screaming and told his parents that Mustafa was responsible, but before he could tell more details, he again lost consciousness. Later that night he again narrated the story to the parents.
On the next morning, 22 July, the parents got the child discharged from the private hospital and transferred him to Aziz Bhatti Hospital Gujrat, a public hospital, because the hospital authorities were asking for a huge amount of money and not providing treatment. The Medico legal report was done and the police was informed on the same day. The police were initially reluctant to register the FIR, but later it was done on 24 July.
The hospital staff was not cooperating with the parents and the child was not properly taken care of. Only nurses visited the child. The hospital administration initially was not providing medication; the parents themselves had to provide it. When they asked about the x-ray report, the parents were told that the doctor was on leave, the report would be provided within 3-4 days.
The child’s uncle, Javed Iqal, further explained that when they realized that police and hospital administration were not paying attention, they contacted a media outlet: the ARY TV channel, which immediately aired the news, on afternoon of 24 July. Soon after, the entire govt. machinery became active. The senior medical officers, MS, Dr. Naveed Tahir rushed to the ward, inspected the child, and released the medical report. They started providing all necessary medicine, and the child was transferred to a ward where the electricity is available. However, the nurses did not entertain the request of the family members of the victim to change dressing in the operation theatre and not to change the dressing in front of the parents, which was highly painful to watch.
As the news about the working of Punjab police and its negligence was viewed throughout the country, the high police officers District Police Officer (DPO) Superintendent of Police (SP) and SHO also visited the child and his parents in the hospital. The whole administration has become very soft with the family members of the victim after all the media outlets began criticizing the dysfunctional rule of law in the country and the power that powerful people enjoy.
The Gujrat police, knowing well about the case, took three days to file a case against the perpetrator under section 324, 334 of Pakistan Penal Code, after the case was publicized through media and chief minister took the notice.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the letters to the authorities calling on them to prosecute high officials of Gujrat police for providing protection to the perpetrator and not filing case against him in a timely manner. The perpetrator’s punishment must be exemplary. Please also urge that the best medical treatment be provided to the victim, Master Tabassum Shahzad, as well as the arrangement for artificial limbs for a normal life.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child calling for its intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ………………..,
PAKISTAN: A Minor’s Arms Chopped Off by Landlord,-Police Unresponsive until Media Coverage
Name of victim: Master Tabassum Shahzad, age 10, resident of Chak Bhola, Tehsil, District Gujrat, Punjab
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Ghulam Mustafa, landlord, village Gaigiyan, Tehsil & District Gujrat Punjab
2. Station House Officer of Thana Sadar, Gujrat, Punjab
Date of incident: 21 July 2014
Place of incident: Village Gaigiyan, Tehsil & District Gujrat
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding a minor having his arms chopped off by a land owner of Gujarat, Punjab, and the police protection of the perpetrator.
I received information from Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) and from the uncle of the victim, via the Asian Human Rights Commission.
I have been told that the mutilation occurred over a petty dispute, regarding an electricity bill dispute between the landlord and the father of Master Tabassum Shahzad, (who was a 10 year-old student of class five) one week before. Both parties have adjacent fields. The accused party own 23-25 acres of land, while victim party is poor and owns just 2-3 acre of land.
I have been informed that on 21 July 2014, at 10:30 am, the child, Shahzad, went to his family’s fields. The accused, landlord Mr. Ghulam Mustafa, who was standing in his own field, called Shahzad over to the tube well (a peter engine installed in the open). When the child arrived the accused, caught him, over powered him, forcibly tied the hands of child from front side with a scarf, and put both hands in the running belt of a harvesting machine. The boy was stuck to the running belt and was mutilated when both of his arms were crushed, cut, and ripped from his body.
Soon after it appears that the perpetrator, Ghulam Mustafa, panicked, picked the unconscious and bleeding boy out of the machine and rushed him by motorbike to a private hospital of Gujrat, Punjab, 8-10 Km away from the town. It took half an hour to get to the hospital. Ghulam Mustafa apparently told the hospital administration that it is just an accident. The boy underwent surgery. Meanwhile the parents, relatives, and other local people arrived with what remained of his arms, but doctors said they could not be reattached.
I am told that the child regained consciousness after the operation, that Ghulam Mustafa came back to the hospital, and that the child started screaming and told his parents that Mustafa was responsible before he lost consciousness again. Later that night he narrated the story to the parents again.
On the next morning, 22 July, the parents got the child discharged from the private hospital and transferred him to Aziz Bhatti Hospital Gujrat, a public hospital, because the private hospital authorities were asking for a huge amount of money and not providing treatment. The Medico legal report was done and the police was informed on the same day. I am disgusted that the police were initially reluctant to register the FIR, but later it was done on 24 July.
I find it disturbing that the hospital staff was not cooperating with the parents and the child was not properly taken care of; I was told that only nurses visited the child. The hospital administration initially was not providing medication; the parents themselves had to provide it. When they asked about the x-ray report, the parents were told that the doctor was on leave, the report would be provided within 3-4 days.
The child’s uncle, Javed Iqal, further explained that when they realized that police and hospital administration were not paying attention, they contacted a media outlet: the ARY TV channel, which immediately aired the news, on afternoon of 24 July. It is embarrassing that only after this, the entire govt. machinery became active. The senior medical officers, MS, Dr. Naveed Tahir rushed to the ward, inspected the child, and released the medical report. They started providing all necessary medicine, and the child was transferred to a ward where the electricity is available. However, the nurses did not entertain the request of the family members of the victim to change dressing in the operation theatre and not to change the dressing in front of the parents, which was highly painful to watch.
I also learned that as the news about the working of Punjab police and its negligence was viewed throughout the country, the high police officers District Police Officer (DPO) Superintendent of Police (SP) and SHO also visited the child and his parents in the hospital. The whole administration has become very soft with the family members of the victim after all the media outlets began criticizing the dysfunctional rule of law in the country and the power that powerful people enjoy.
It is appalling that the Gujrat police, knowing well about the case, took three days to file a case against the perpetrator under section 324, 334 of Pakistan Penal Code, after the case was publicized through media and chief minister took the notice.
I find it horrifying that a young boy could be mutilated like this and it is more disgusting that the police, rather than help, had to be forced into action by the media. I ask that you do your utmost to ensure that the case is handled properly, that the victim and his family are properly cared for, and that the perpetrator is brought to justice.
Yours’ sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Mamnoon Hussain
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk or pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
3. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Federal Minister for Interior
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com or ministry.interior@gmail.com
4. Mr. Shahbaz Sharif
Chief Minister
Government of Punjab Province
Chief Minister’s Secretariat
5-Club Road, GOR-I, Lahore, Punjab
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99205065
Email: cmcomplaintcell@cmpunjab.gov.pk
5. Mr. Pervez Rashid
Federal Minister
Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue, G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: sarfraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
6. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
