Father of gang-raped Christian girls demands justice for his daughters!

For more details on the two sisters please click here

By Mushtaq Gill, LAHORE:

Today 9 March, 2015, Ilyas Masih, father of gang raped under age Catholic Christian girls, came to meet Sardar Mushtaq Gill, Human Rights Defender and High Court Advocate for free legal assistance to challenge the grant of bail that saw two rapists set free and for trial of the two cases.    

The meeting transpired after British Pakistani Christian Association Chairman, Wilson Chowdhry approached Sardar Mushtaq Gill, Human Rights Defender and Chief of the Legal Evangelical Development Association (LEAD) on behalf of two Christian under age girls. Mr Chowdhry expressed his desire to push for justice for the girls who were beaten, spat upon and had their faith mocked during one of the most brutal rape ordeals in Pakistan (click here). 

Mr Chowdhry has promised his group’s support in legal costs including all travelling costs from Lahore to Jaranwala, for both the family and legal team. The BPCA is also supporting the family and through tireless efforts the rehabilitation of the young girls has begun (click here). 

LEAD and the BPCA have cemented a partnership and will continue to work together for the cause of justice in Pakistan vowing to defend the rights of persecuted Church.

Ilyas told Gill that on 28 November, 2014 at about 6:30PM his two under age daughters went to a nearby field to urinate. Both girls had made the short journey many times before but this time they did not come back at the usual time. 

Ilyas and friends searched the whole night, they were worried about what had happened to the young and vulnerable Christian girls. In the morning about 6:00 am, the rapists left them naked in a field.

Later the girls told their father that three Muslim men Muhammad Asif, Shahbaz and Azeem forcibly took them from the field at gunpoint. They were taken to the home of the boys’ and were repeatedly gang-raped, beaten and abused, turn by turn the whole night.

Ilyas Masih, said;

“I submitted a complaint at the local Police Station against the three alleged rapists, but the police struck out the name of one of the accused men, Muhammad Asif and registered an FIR No.552/14 under section 376 PPC against only two rapists Shahbaz and Muhammad Azeem.”

Both these men were arrested and sent into judicial lock up. Later on 9th February, 2015 one co-accused Muhammad Azeem applied for bail in the court of Additional and Session Judge Jaranwala. The bail application was granted and Mr Azeem was released from jail.

He also said that on 10th February 2015 in the afternoon about 5:30 PM, Muhammad Asif along with one other Muslim man Ghalam Abbas reached his home and started firing at his door and threatened to kill them unless they withdrew the rape allegations (click here).  He said that he approached the police station and submitted another complaint against these new culprits and the case FIR No.66/15 under sections 440/337H2,34 PPC was registered at Police Station Lundian Wala.  In this case also the culprits have been released after the court accepted their bail submission.

“We are living under constant fear of attack at the hands of the released culprits and fear they will kill us.” Said Ilyas.

“I just want justice for the wrong and heinous crime which was committed by the culprits, to my young daughters,”added Ilyas”.

BPCA Continues to support this family through their current dilemma, we can only continue to do so with your help.