Tayyaba torture case: Former judge, wife get one-year prison sentence

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday awarded one year imprisonment to former Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife Maheen Zafar in Tayyaba torture case. A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict which he had reserved on March 27 after hearing arguments of both the sides. Besides one year imprisonment, the court also imposed Rs50,000 fine on each of them.
In this case, both of them had employed Tayyaba Bibi, aged less than 10 years at the relevant time, as a maid servant in the house and used to hit her because of which she sustained injuries. They were also charged that they wrongly confined Tayyaba Bibi and she was recovered by the police from their house, therefore, they have committed an offence under Section 342 PPC.
In this connection, the IHC bench noted in its verdict that admittedly, the victim was working as a maid servant at the residence of Raja Khurram Ali Khan and Maheen Zafar, however, the prosecution has not produced any evidence which goes on to show that she was wrongly confined at the aforementioned residence of the said persons.
The judgment said, "Under Section 328-A PPC, whoever willfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons or does an act of omission or commission, that results in or has, potential to harm or injure the child by causing physical or psychological injury to him shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year and may extend up to three years, or with fine which shall not be less than twenty five thousand rupees and may extend up to fifty thousand rupees, or with both."