Muhammad Ahmad, a little more than thirteen years old, should be with his friends and classmates at the Larkana Cadet College where he was a student till August this year. Instead, the young teenager lies in bed at a relative’s house in Karachi, a nasal tube pouring liquid foods into his stomach to keep him alive. The boy can neither speak nor use his limbs. According to his father, Ahmad was tortured at school, apparently having been severely beaten up. This young boy’s plight is a reminder that the government still routinely fails in its job to protect the weakest among us. According to the father, the child was tortured by the principal and a headmaster of the cadet college more than four months ago and it has taken till now for any attention to be paid to his plight. The principal of the cadet college, a retired army officer, has declined to comment on the matter. We therefore do not know why the tragedy that crippled Ahmad took place. But it is obvious a full inquiry is required. The punishments inflicted on Ahmad go far beyond discipline and are brutally sadistic. During this whole period, his father had to bear medical expenses he could scarcely afford and all pleas for help were ignored. No one has yet been held responsible and the government has not even ascertained what crimes were committed under laws protecting the welfare of children and outlawing corporal punishment.
Almost as shocking as the torture has been the refusal of the authorities at the cadet college to accept responsibility for their criminal actions. They have tried to blame Ahmad for what was done to him. The smear campaign against him has included allegations that he suffered mental health issues and was a poor student. His father has proved that to be a lie by releasing his generally excellent grades. The response from the government was inexcusable in its tardiness, with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah only now ordering the health minister to ensure all of Ahmad’s medical bills are paid and demanding an inquiry be held into what was done to him. The work of the inquiry has been nothing short of a fiasco so far. The medical board meant to examine the boy and determine the causes of his injuries was not in a position to do its job because its ENT specialist was out of the country and no one seems to know when he will be back. Without him it may not be possible to present the report on Ahmad’s torture. It is inexcusable for the government to have taken so long to even start an inquiry into what happened and then to conduct it in such a shoddy manner. A terrible tragedy has occurred. A young boy lies unable to move, kept alive by liquid food and multiple medications. Doctors in Karachi hold out no hope that he will recover. His life has forever been destroyed as has that of his family. The least we can do is attempt to uncover the truth and ensure those guilty do not get away scot-free.