SC sets aside three-year jail term given to former judge, wife in Tayyaba torture case

• SC has maintained the one-year jail term handed to the couple in the case.
• Tayyaba was 10 years old when news surfaced in 2016 of her being tortured by her employers.

The Supreme Court (SC) set aside on Friday the three-year sentence against former additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife Maheen in the Tayyaba torture case.

During the hearing, Justice Mushir Alam heard the petition filed by the former judge and his wife against Islamabad High Court's (IHC) verdict in sentencing them to three years imprisonment. The top court set aside the three-year jail term given to the former judge and his wife and maintained the earlier one year jail term given to them by the IHC.

While exercising special powers under Article 187, the SC issued a notice to the convicts on an appeal by the government seeking to enhance their jail sentence, local media reported. The top court also directed Adiala Jail administration to inform both the inmates about the notice.

News surfaced back in 2016 of Tayyaba, who was 10 years old at that time, being tortured by her employers. Outraged, people demanded justice after pictures of Tayyaba became viral on social media. The pictures showed her bruised face and torture marks.

Tayyaba's family had forgiven their daughter's employers. However, the then-Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar took a suo motu notice in 2017 and referred the case to IHC for conducting trial against the judge and his wife.