RAWALPINDI:
Three young siblings, who were subject to alleged sexual assault by their paternal uncle and a relative in Al-Noor Colony in Sadiqabad police limits, recorded their official statements under Section 164 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on Tuesday.
The victims have accused their paternal and maternal uncles of repeated sexual abuse. The children, an 11-year-old boy named Muhammad Ahmad, an eight-year-old girl named Umm Salma, and a six-year-old girl named Umm Hani, gave their testimony to Civil Judge Shama Yasin.
To allow the children to speak freely, the judge asked their parents, Sonia Shabnam and Jibran Khalid Mughal, to leave the courtroom.
The eldest, Muhammad Ahmad, a sixth-grade pupil, informed the court that his father works abroad in Dubai and his mother is also employed. He explained that his paternal uncle, Kamran Khalid Mughal, would frequently abuse him, and the uncle’s maternal uncle, who also lived with them, was likewise involved.
The children were intimidated with knives and firearms and were threatened with murder if they ever disclosed the abuse. The abuse would begin whenever their mother was out of the house.
Umm Salma, a second-grade pupil, told the judge that her uncle and his maternal uncle would undress her, molest her, and perform lewd acts. She said they would threaten her with a knife and a firearm when she cried. The youngest sibling, six-year-old Umm Hani, gave an account consistent with that of her elder sister.
The affected children told the court they had confided in their father last month upon his return from Dubai. Following this confession, the uncle and his maternal uncle absconded. Their parents then took them to the police station. The court has since forwarded a report of the statements to the District and Sessions Judge in Rawalpindi.
