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A couple in Pakistan has been arrested for allegedly killing a 13-year-old domestic help for stealing chocolates. According to the BBC, the girl, who goes only by Iqra, succumbed to severe injuries in hospital last week. A preliminary police investigation said she had been subjected to brutal torture before death. An autopsy is being conducted to assess the full extent of her injuries. The girl's employers, Rashid Shafiq and his wife Sana, along with a Quran teacher who worked for the family have been arrested. The teacher had reportedly brought the girl to the hospital and left after telling hospital staff that her father had died and her mother was not around.
Iqra's death has triggered a wave of outrage on social media, with the hashtag #JusticeforIqra gaining tens of thousands of views. The incident has also reignited discussions on child labour and the abuse of domestic workers in the country, the BBC reported. Notably, laws pertaining to child labour vary across the country, however, in Pakistan's Punjab, children under the age of 15 cannot be employed as domestic workers.
"My heart cries tears of blood. How many... are subjected to violence in their homes every day for a trivial job of a few thousand?" activist Shehr Bano wrote on X. "How long will the poor continue to lower their daughters into graves in this way?" she added.
Some users pointed out that her murder was allegedly triggered by something so minor. "She died over chocolate?" one user wrote on X. "This is not just a crime, it's a reflection of (a) system that enables (the) rich to treat (the) poor as disposable," said another.
Speaking to the BBC, Iqra's father, Sana Ullah, said that his daughter began working as a maid at the age of 8. He said that he had sent her to work because he was in debt. After working for a few employees, the 13-year-old went to work for the couple two years ago, who have eight children of their own. Iqra was earning around $28 per month.
"I felt completely shattered inside when she died," Iqra's father told the outlet. He said that he had received a call from the police about his daughter last Wednesday. When he rushed to the hospital, he saw his daughter lying on a bed, unconscious. She reportedly died minutes later.
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The police said that initial investigations indicated that the 13-year-old had endured significant abuse. Officials also uncovered evidence of continuous mistreatment. Images and videos provided to the BBC showed multiple fractures in her arms and legs, along with a severe head injury.
Cops have said that an autopsy is underway to evaluate the full extent of her injuries. They are also awaiting the final medical report.
Sana Ullah said that he wants to see "those responsible for my daughter's death punished".