Pakistan's unjust legal system fails 12 year old Christian murder victim Tania

On 23rd January 2017 the dead body of Tania Mariyam (12 yrs)  was found dead in Upper Chenab Canal after she went missing from school (click here).      

Tania only days before her murder

Sadly for the family, despite what they believe is clear evidence that Tania was murdered including alleged signs of poisoning and rape, local police
refused to register a murder investigation and registered her death as a suicide.

The post- mortem examination undertaken by the police  which deemed the death a suicide, did not involve any attempt to check for toxins, or
rape and has been rejected as false by the family and many human rights NGO's.  

Family members visibly saw the shalwar (trousers) of their daughter had been ripped apart prior to the autopsy, however later police asserted that
the Shalwar was ripped  during the post-mortem examination.  This act alone raises serious concerns about the actions of Sambrial Police.

With the help of a solicitor Taniya’s Brother Johnson Gill has submitted several applications for the exhumation of Taniya’s corpse with no joy, now
six weeks later the family feel any hope of revealing the murder through an autopsy is gone. The twisted and complex and very intentional court process
delay that family has had to suffer are easy to ridicule in Pakistan.  But sadly the pain it creates for families pursuing justice is immense.

Initially when they applied to Sialkot Magistrates court the family discovered to their chagrin that they had applied to the wrong court. For all intents
and purposes the court they applied to was in the jurisdiction of the local police investigating the murder, however on the day of the first hearing
Magistrate Shagufta Sabbir rejected the case and advised the family that as Tania's body had been buried in another district, the family should be
applying to a magistrate responsible for the Canntt policing district of Sialkot.  

Advocate Abdul Qaddus Ghouria is adamant he went through correct procedure and should have been advised on any conflict prior to submission and believes
that this was simply a ruse to delay the process.  The family have for the last 8 days pursued their case with a magistrate responsible for the
Cantt Police district and a hearing took place on 7th March.

Since the beginning of their application for exhumation of Tania's body the family have had to suffer the ignominy of petty delays, including but not
exclusively the following; absent judges, absent stenographers, absent court readers and now this court change.

On 7th March, Magistrate Syed Afzal Mahmood instructed Judicial Magistrate Choudhry Aitzaaz Anjum to finalize a decision for Tania's exhumation within
10 days. Meaning the family should now be given a comprehensive answer on whether they can exhume Tania's corpse on Friday. However, considering the
six weeks that have passed since her burial the family and BPCA hold little hope that any traceable evidence of use of toxins will exist.  Even
then in hope for justice the family will pursue an autopsy despite the obvious pain of disturbing their dead child's body.

Nadeem Gill, father of Tania has advised BPCA that unless they get a positive decision for exhumation of the body of Tania, the family would like BPCA's
help to organise a mass protest calling for a review of Tania's case, policing practice and a creaking judicial system. BPCA has agreed to pay for
coaches for Pakistani Christians to join the family in their struggle for justice and any churches or groups who feel they would like to be involved
with such a protest are invited to email us at admin@britishpakistanichristians.org.

Please sign our petition calling for justice for Tania (click here)

On 25th February our officer Ambar Saroya gifted flowers to Tania's sisters just before attending a memorial.

Ambar regularly meets Tania's family to provide advice, support and counsel and prays with them as they continue seeking justice for Tania.