No food, clothing as stepmother chains-up children in Karachi

KARACHI: In an unfortunate incident of violence against children in Karachi, a woman was blamed for chaining-up and depriving her stepchildren of clothes, after two of them were found in an inhumane condition by neighbors in the Gulberg area of the city, ARY NEWS reported. 

The report revealed that the children were living in a miserable condition, chained up without clothes, for at least five months, and were not even provided food on a regular basis.

It all emerged after some neighbours in a Gulberg locality, entered a house after it came to their notice that two children are kept in an inhumane manner in a house.

As soon as they entered the premises, they found two children, aging between four and 10-year-old, tied up with a chain and deprived of their clothes.

A female witness while narrating the entire episode said that when she entered the home, she found the children deprived of clothing and chained up. 

“We tried to give some food to them but their stepmother intervened and asked us to leave their home,” she said. “I filmed the entire episode,” she said while also showing it to the ARY NEWS.

While quoting one of the children, an eyewitness said that the children’s mother, Ambreen, left her husband after being divorced and their father married another woman, named Asma, who was allegedly involved in treating children in a miserable manner.

“Our father is jobless,” one of the children was quoted as saying as he narrated the inhumane behavior meted out to them at the hands of their stepmother.

The incident also highlighted the miserable role police played during the entire episode as it handed over the children to their stepmother even after knowing the violence she committed against them.

Stepmother denies allegations 

The stepmother while responding to allegations leveled against her said that both of them were mischievous and had previously run away from home. “I work as a domestic helper and my stepdaughter also accompanies me during my work at various homes,” she said.

She claimed that the children were tied up with a chain so that they could not run away from home again.

The police allowed children to accompany their stepmother after the latter assured of treating them well and the victims also accepted to go with her.

DIG West handed over the children to their stepmother and said that they would be looking after the children on a daily basis and the mother would also appear before concerned SSP once in a week.

Child right activists demand strict action

As soon as this tragic story was run by ARY NEWS, renowned child rights’ activist Zia ur Rehman Advocate said that it was a condemnable act and violates the child abuse acts enforced in the country.

“It is a criminal act to chain the children and deprive them of clothing and food,” he said adding that action should also be taken against those who handed them over to the stepmother.

The children should be shifted to a shelter home, he said while pointing out the criminal negligence on part of the police and demanded of the chief justice Sindh High Court to take notice of the incident.

Read More: Stepmother kills three-year-old in Lahore

Vice-Chairman of the Sarim Burney International Welfare Trust Aliya Burney lauded the efforts of ARY NEWS in exposing such elements in the society and called for action against those responsible for such inhumane behavior.

Another human rights activist Farzana Bari said that it was the responsibility of the state to take care of children and punish the stepmother involved in such heinous acts.

She further asked as to why the father of the children played no role in rescuing the kids from the inhumane attitude of the stepmother.

She lamented the role of police in such cases and said that they usually support the oppressor and even refuse to register a case in such matters.