A 12-year-old Christian domestic servant in Pakistan is believed to have died as a result of mistreatment at the hands of her Muslim employers.
The family of Shazia Masih say she was mentally and physically abused in the Lahore home of Muslim lawyer Chaudhry Mohammad Naeem, where she had worked for the last eight months to support her poor parents.
Shazia was taken to hospital for treatment but did not recover and passed away on January 22. A post mortem at Mayo Hospital in Lahore confirmed the cause of death as torture.
The family is being aided by CLAAS, a ministry that supports persecuted Christians in Pakistan. Director Joseph Francis accompanied them to the police station to register a first information report with the police against Naeem, whom they accuse of killing Shazia. Police were initially unwilling to register a case against Naeem but backed down after CLAAS put pressure on them by contacting human rights advocates and helping to raise awareness of Shazia's death in the media.
Mr Francis and other human rights advocates joined a protest by local Christians outside the Punjab Assembly Hall in Lahore the following day. They received assurances from the police that they would do everything they could to see that justice was done for Shazia and her family.
Mr Naeem initially fled before being arrested by police two days after Shazia’s death. He told police he punished Shazia for repeatedly misbehaving and helping herself to food. His wife and sister-in-law were also arrested, while his son was granted pre-arrest bail by the high court in Lahore. Muslims responded to the arrest of Naeem and his family by protesting outside the police station. They claim the detentions are illegal and are demanding their immediate release.
Shazia’s death has been taken seriously by local and federal politicians. Her family have received visits from Ministers for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti and Kamran Michael, and the chief minister of Punjab Mian Mohammad Shabaz Sharif, who promised that Naeem would be arrested and punished.
