SUKKUR: Officials from the Sindh Child Protection Authority of the Social Welfare Department, Government of Sindh, have released their initial report regarding the death of minor maid Fatima Furiro, confirming signs of torture on her body. The report, issued on Friday, establishes that the prime suspects, Pir Assad Ali Shah Jilani and his wife Hina Shah, were directly involved in the torture that led to her fatal injuries.
The report also implicates the SHO of Ranipur Police Station and health officials for allegedly concealing facts related to the maid’s death. DG Syed Nisar Shah, who instructed local officials to conduct the inquiry, expressed their commitment to providing legal and moral support to the victim’s family in their pursuit of justice against the accused.
ASP Nauman Zaffar, directed by DIG Sukkur Javed Soonharo Jiskani, informed the media that the grave of Fatima would be exhumed under the supervision of the judicial magistrate of Kandario, Naushhehro Feroze district, after the formation of a medical board by DG Health Sindh. He mentioned that Pir Asad Jilani’s room had been sealed after officials examined it for forensic evidence based on CCTV footage. ‘The victim’s clothes and belongings have also been collected from her parents for medical examination,’ he added. The ASP revealed that SHO Ranipur Ameer Bux Chang had been detained for withholding information from higher authorities, along with Dr. Fateh, who examined the girl. Security around the victim’s grave had been increased due to suspicious activity by unknown individuals before the exhumation process.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) issued a statement highlighting significant gaps in the FIR filed in Fatima’s case. The commission called for additional sections of relevant laws regarding child protection and bonded labor, alongside sections 302 and 34 of the PPC, to be included in the case. SHRC Chairperson Iqbal Detho took suo motu notice of the reported incident and emphasized the need for a fair and transparent investigation into the murder, incorporating appropriate sections of the law as necessary.
Mr. Detho instructed SSP Khairpur to handle the allegations of torture and conduct an impartial inquiry. If the evidence supports the mentioned offenses during the investigation, these sections should be included in the FIR as per the law, ensuring justice and safeguarding human rights. The chairperson of SHRC scheduled a hearing for August 21 and requested an officer no lower than the rank of deputy superintendent of police to appear before him with a report at their office in Sukkur.
