Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - A young Christian was tortured to death by the Pakistani police after his mother was accused of stealing gold and money from her Muslim employer. 20-year-old Zubair Masih was taken away by a group of agents with other family members, after the charges brought against his mother, Ayesha Bibi. However, the young man, unlike other relatives, was detained and died in the hours following his arrest while still in the custody of law enforcement officers.
As Fides learns, Ayesha, a widow, was accused of stealing some jewelry and a sum of 2,000 rupees from the home of her employer, Abdul Jabar, where she worked as a maid.
Jabbar and some policemen raided her home, accusing her of theft, but the woman denied having committed the alleged crimes. The police and Jabbar beat and detained the woman, then dragged her to her brother Arshad Masih, with whom her two sons lived. Since the woman continued to proclaim her innocence, the agents took the whole family, to the nearby police station to continue their interrogation. During the long hours of questioning the agents repeatedly used violence and torture against the Christian family, fracturing the woman's arm. Later the police released all the family, except Zubair.
Family members feared for the fate of the young man. The next day, March 7 his lifeless body was dumped by the police outside his home. He was taken to hospital, Doctors confirmed that the death occurred as a result of torture.
The Christian community is extremely saddened by the news. The faithful gathered in front of the police station asking for justice. For two days the faithful protested outside the police station. On March 8, investigators opened an investigation against an officer and three agents. Despite promises of justice, most likely the story will end with a paltry monetary compensation to the family while the policemen will remain unpunished. "Even if the police have assured justice. Often compensation is proposed to the family, who are asked to withdraw the complaints", says to Fides Joseph Francis Director of "CLAAS", who has offered free legal assistance to the family. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/03/2015)
