The brutal death of a 13-year-old maid, allegedly at the hands of her employers over accusations of stealing chocolates, has sparked nationwide outrage in Pakistan, with activists and citizens demanding justice.
The victim, identified only as Iqra, succumbed to her injuries on February 12, 2025, at a hospital in Rawalpindi. Police reports and initial investigations indicate that she had been subjected to severe torture by her employers, Rashid Shafiq and his wife, Sana.
Both have since been arrested alongside their Quran teacher, who took the injured girl to the hospital but later left, reportedly telling staff that her father was dead and her mother was unavailable.
Iqra’s father, Sana Ullah, a 45-year-old farmer, told the BBC that he was informed about his daughter’s condition on February 12. “I felt completely shattered inside when she died,” he said. “I want those responsible for her death to face punishment.”
Iqra had been a domestic worker since eight, earning just £23 ($28) monthly. Her father, burdened by debt, had sent her to work to support the family.
Authorities have confirmed that Iqra’s body bore multiple fractures on her legs and arms, as well as severe head injuries.
Rawalpindi police have launched an investigation, with an autopsy pending to determine the full extent of her injuries. “Our preliminary findings show she suffered repeated abuse,” a police spokesperson told BBC Urdu.
The case has caused a firestorm on social media, with the hashtag #JusticeForIqra trending widely.
Activist Shehr Bano expressed her outrage on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “My heart cries tears of blood. How many more will suffer violence for meager wages? How long will the poor continue to bury their daughters this way?”
The tragic incident has also reignited debates about child labor and domestic worker abuse in Pakistan. According to UNICEF, approximately 3.3 million children in Pakistan are engaged in child labor despite laws prohibiting the employment of children under 15 as domestic workers in Punjab province.
This is not the first such case to provoke public outrage. In 2020, an eight-year-old domestic worker in Rawalpindi was beaten to death by her employers after accidentally releasing two expensive parrots.
In 2018, a judge and his wife in Islamabad were sentenced to one year in prison for torturing their 10-year-old maid, burning her hand over a missing broom, and confining her in a storeroom.
However, legal experts note that perpetrators in such cases often evade harsh punishment due to the practice of ‘forgiveness’ under Pakistani law.
Families of victims can pardon the accused in court, often in exchange for financial compensation. “Most of these cases end in out-of-court settlements, and successful prosecutions are rare,” said a human rights lawyer speaking to Dawn News.
Police in Rawalpindi have assured the public that this case will be pursued with full legal force. “We will ensure that justice is served and those responsible are held accountable,” a senior police officer told The Express Tribune.
As the investigation continues, activists and citizens alike remain watchful to keep Iqra’s case from becoming just another statistic in Pakistan’s long history of domestic worker abuse.
