INTERNATIONAL

A Christian Family Tortured by Police in Pakistan

On the directives of Session Judge, Police here on 26th April, Monday recovered a 14-year old Christian girl from Pakistan Air Force (PAF) hospital, Islamabad.

The PAF Police had allegedly admitted the girl there after keeping her in illegal custody and torturing for five days.

According to the details, Wing Commander Faheem Cheema had lodged an application with Margalla Police station, Islamabad on April 15th that some unidentified thieves had taken away more than 80 tolas ( 932 grams )gold ornaments and other valuable from his house situated in PAF Colony, Islamabad.  Photo: Sumera is being carried by her father outside the session court

Upon this, the police had registered a FIR against the unidentified thieves. Later the PAF police without informing the local police picked up five people including a minor Sumera Pervaiz, who was serving in the commander's house as a maid.

These people were also living in the PAF Colony in category four-quarters. On Thursday, the police produced 4 people before the District and Session Judge Ch. Mazhar Hussain Barlas. However the police told the court that Sumera`s health didn’t allow her to come in the court and was, therefore admitted in the PAF Hospital. 

On this Sumera`s Advocates Jamila Aslam and Shamoona Javid pleaded the court that their client had been tortured, and requested it to direct for producing the girl in the court.

After that, the judge ordered SHO (Station House Officer) Margalla to bring Sumera in the court. Later the police produced the girl before the court. In her statement before the judge Sumera told the Court that on April 15, some three persons in plain clothes dropped in her house at mid-night and picked her along with her father.

She said "We remained in the custody of those people for many days, who brutally tortured me during their so called interrogation". She further said that when she was being interrogated by the PAF Police she also saw her brother there. When the Judge asked her who had brought her to the hospital, she replied that during interrogation she had gone unconscious and later she found herself in the hospital, "So I don’t know who brought me there" she added.

On this the judge in his remarks said that while keeping in view the statement it seems that Sumera`s brother was also in the custody of PAF.

The judge directed the SHO Margalla to produce Imran Pervaiz before the Court. He further ordered that if Imran was not produced then he would direct him (the SHO) to lodge a FIR against the Wing Commander Faheem Cheema in the light of Sumera and her father's statements.  The Session judge further directed the police for medical checkup of Sumera and said that medical reports to be shown to the court. While the judge released four other people including Pervaiz Masih, Sana bibi, Parveen Masih and Kala Masih who also allegedly remained in the custody of the PAF Police.

Sumera is barely able to walk, according to the doctors she might not be able to walk for the rest of her life. Her whole family has been severely tortured by the police.

On the other hand the Wing Commander has said " I dont know anything about the illegal detention of the family, neither I asked the police to interrogate them. They did everything on their own".

Christian organizations including Ephlal Ministry, Peace Pakistan, Protect Foundation, Life for All and others have strongly condemned the brutal torturing of the innocent family done by the police. Chairman Ephlal Ministry Mr. Mehboob Alam is calling on other Christian leaders to stand with the family in time of their need, as they have been thrown out of the PAF quarters. 

Provided by our friends in Pakistan