Inquiry ordered into Islamabad schoolgirl abuse complaint

Islamabad: Capital Administration and Development Division secretary Nargis Ghaloo has ordered inquiry into a complaint about a schoolgirl’s abuse on campus and inform her about its veracity in three days.

The development occurred after the father of a minor student of the F-10/2 Islamabad Model College for Girls’ junior section formally lodged a complaint with the secretary.

The complainant alleged that the college’s bus driver with the help of a gardener and an ‘aaya’ (caretaker) had sexually abused his daughter in the school's backyard for a long time, filmed the abuse to blackmail her into keeping quiet and even beat her up.

He said he learned about the abuse after he and his wife noticed that their daughter was disquieted and was unwilling to go to school. The complainant said he took up the matter with the college’s administration but it tried to hush-up the matter to the encouragement of suspects, who issued death threats to his daughter.

He urged the CADD secretary to step in and ensure that the ‘culprits’ get the strictest possible punishment without delay. The complainant said he preferred taking up the matter with the secretary instead of the police to keep the family, especially the girl, from possible dishonour.

He feared that the 'well-connected culprits’ would get off scot-free to the misery of other schoolgirls.

Hasnat Qureshi, director general at the Federal Directorate of Education, which oversees the government schools and colleges in Islamabad, didn’t answer calls and texts. When contacted, FDE director (model colleges) Dr Tariq Masood said the inquiry into the abuse complaint was under way and that if anyone was found guilty of the charge, he would be dealt with strictly under the law. He said the directorate had already transferred the suspects to other colleges.