09 June 2004	Wednesday	20 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, June 8: The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) on Tuesday condemned the rape of two minor Christian girls.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the APMA chairman, Shahbaz Bhatti, demanded a severe action against the culprits and condemned victimization and increasing incidents of rape in different parts of the country irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

The two and a half-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by Abid Hussain in Gujranwala in April. Abid Hussain, who worked in a dairy farm with Munir Masih (victim's father) walked into his house, picked up the little girl and headed for the fields where he assaulted the girl.

The parents later found their daughter bleeding profusely with the assailant by her side. On seeing the parents, Abid Hussain took off leaving the girl in critical condition.

"Doctors said the girl will need 5 to 6 more operations and expressed the apprehensions that she might never become a mother later in life," the APMA chairman told the media persons.

The case had been registered with the Cantonment police station, Gujranwala, under Hudood Ordinance. The girl had to be shifted to Lahore as her medical condition needed greater attention.

He said the other rape case involved a seven-year-old Christian girl, who was sexually assaulted by Ali Bahadur last week near her home in Lahore. The seven-year-old victim's mother, Parveen Barkat, found her daughter bruised and bleeding eight hours after the crime was committed.

Ali Bahadur lured the victim into toys. The girl was taken into a dark room where she was tortured and raped. He also threatened to kill her if she told anybody about the crime or revealed his identity. After the rape was confirmed, a case was registered in Lahore.