What happened: ProperGaanda reached out to a local source conveying the story regarding an incident with 12-year-old Zarvia, a Christian girl from the city of Rawalpindi, who was kidnapped by a husband-wife duo, drugged, forcibly converted, and illegally married to a man whose age is 35+ years old in Rawalpindi and then trafficked to Faisalabad, shared the local source. How did it unfold: She was taken three months ago, on 30th April 2022. Further quoting the source, “ Police application was filed the evening of the kidnapping, FIR lodged on 1st May 2022. While at the police station, the male kidnapper Imran sent a voice note on Whatsapp requesting Zarvia’s parents to stop calling his relatives and that no one else was involved in the ‘guna’, and that is now a matter between them and Imran.” Allegations: It has been alleged that “police and courts are involved in cover-ups,” the source provided documentary evidence to support his claim. Subsequently, the source added, “In a recorded phone call between Imran and Zarvia’s paternal uncle, he says in he Punjabi “Haan Ji bilkul tussi menu Dasso Aaj Inna di bachi Inna toun Thora JA dur hoi hai tay Saara Tabar takleef wich aagay san.” and “Inna di Bachi haalakay jawaan aay Bachi, oo Aaj na Thora dur hai aay tay saaray Tabar jirawa- rishtadaar wi takleef wich agaynay.” Bay form, NADRA documents, school records, church registration record and photographic evidence with metadata all prove the age of the girl to be that of a minor age 12, claimed the source. What did the witnesses see, according to the source: Witnesses saw the woman (Adiba) take Zarvia from her house, using the lie, let’s buy your mom a ‘Mother’s Day gift, and that we have already told your parents, despite the minor repeatedly wanting to call them, which she said in a recorded phone call. Is there a proof of life? The source shared with ProperGaanda that the proof of life is unknown for the past few months. The source added that Faisalabad is known as a child trafficking hub. Zarvia was brought back a week after her kidnapping after her parents petitioned the lower courts. She was found with Imran & Adiba (the kidnappers) being forced to hide in the store room of a brick kiln to avoid police detection.” Was she sent to a shelter home? Zarvia, despite not being a criminal nor arrested, instead of being sent to any of the multiple choices in Rawalpindi’s children’s shelter homes, she was kept overnight in the Women’s Police station, RWP, sharing the same jail cell as her female kidnapper, Adiba, the source added. Courts took testimony but: Courts took the testimony of the child without her having legal counsel. The court also mandated that as a suspected victim of kidnapping & trafficking, she be subject to a mandatory medical exam for minors, which Zarvia refused under coercion. Even though a minor has no right to refuse one: the source shared. After the testimony: In her testimony, the courts refused to look at any evidence or supporting documentation; the girl, under duress, was made to lie about all the facts of her case, but as she is a child, she told the courts she is 14 instead of 12 (still illegal to get married, legal age in Punjab is 16), and that she has done her matric, despite being in class 4. The girl said she went of her own free will however she told her parents before going into the courtroom, and also in a phone call to her brother of which we have an audio recording, that if she did not give her testimony in favour of her kidnappers they would kill her 2 brothers. The court accepted all of her false testimony despite the kidnappers showing no documents or evidence, except a nikahnama the girl was forced to sign after being forcibly converted. The role of the police: The police were also given a recording of a phone call Zarvia made to her mother when her kidnappers were not home, telling her how she was drugged and didn’t know where she is, and that she wanted to come home but she can’t, the source stated. The role of IO: The investigation officer (IO) of the Sadiqabad Police Station/Thana recommended to the courts that the culprits be set free as there was no evidence, despite them intentionally hiding the fact from the courts that the girl had explicitly said she wants to come home. Who are the kidnappers: The kidnappers Imran & Adiba (Muslim couple) were known to Zarvia’s parents, they had given them and their 3 young children shelter in their home as they had no money left. They knew of Imran and Adiba as Zarvia’s oldest brother was his friend and they worked together as unionists. The couple repaid their kindness by kidnapping the daughter who is 4 yrs older than the kidnapper 8 yr old son. These statements are according to what the source added. More: As per signed affidavits of neighbours Imran was very physically and mentally abusive to his wife and children to the point where Zarvia’s mother would have to physically intervene, the fear is he is doing the same to Zaria. It was also the reason the kidnappers were asked to vacate the home of Zarvia’s parents. A week after moving out, they kidnapped her. Rawalpindi police: Rawalpindi Police on social media has clearly stated in its comments on activist Sherkan Malik’s Instagram and Twitter posts, that it was a legal action, and the case is closed.
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