LAHORE: Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) rescued 12-year-old maid named Naheed from Gujranwala on Thursday. The girl used to work in the house of former Punjab Minister for Works Liaquat Abbas Bhatti in Johar Town and was allegedly tortured by his wife.

According to sources in Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, in their initial interrogation the 12-year-old maid alleged that former MNA’s wife name Sadia tortured her because she thought her husband Liaquat Bhatti had an eye on her and she did not like it.   

Naheed’s family lives in a village near Gujranwala. She is afraid of the mess that she says she has got trapped into. Her medicolegal examination (MLC) has been taken at Mayo Hospital. Reports of the examination will be issued on Friday (today).  

“I was tortured by Liaqat’s wife in their Johar Town house. There were two other maids working the same house and are also being treated in the same way. On small mistakes we were tortured with hot rods and knives. At last I decided to rebel and ran away from the house to find my family,” sources said she told the officials of CPWB. 

Naheed has one brother who works with his uncle in Gujranwala.   

Spokesman CPWB told The Nation that some person from Gujranwala contacted CPWB helpline 1121, to which they responded quickly and recovered the girl. He said girl’s initial medical treatment was done at Gujranwala DHQ.

Answering a query, “Naheed has said that she has not been raped. We are waiting for the MLC repor. We are identifying the location of the house in Johar Town. As per standard procedure we will lodge the First Investigation Report in Johar Town Police Station against those who tortured her,” the spokesman said.   

Chairman Child Protection Bureau Sabah Sadiq said according to the Naheed’s initial statement after given medical treatment, she is an orphan as both her parents have died. “The poor girl was working for 3500 salary in the house. The Bureau often conducts such operations to recover children. Naheed is now in protection of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau. We would look after her and ensure she gets justice,” she said.