ISLAMABAD: A one person inquiry committee of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) will begin disciplinary proceedings against Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Raja Khurram Ali Khan next week.

Sources in the IHC said Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani will summon Mr Khan to record a statement, in addition to other witnesses including Tayyaba, a 10 year old child employed by the ADSJ as a maid in his home in I-8.

Sources said the committee will concentrate on disciplinary proceedings against the ADSJ, who was working in the IHC’s subordinate judiciary and is currently an officer on special duty (OSD).

It will not investigate the matters related to Tayyaba’s alleged abuse and ensuing cover up.

IHC inquiry committee will not investigate matter related to child maid’s abuse and alleged cover up

After news of the child’s abuse and torture surfaced on social media, the police registered an FIR against Mr Khan on Dec 29.

IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi ordered an inquiry through registrar Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan, which absolved the ADSJ of charges of torturing Tayyaba, but held his wife Maheen Zafar responsible.

On Dec 2, after the initial inquiry was completed, the ADSJ reached a settlement with the child’s parents, and his wife obtained pre-arrest bail from ADSJ Raja Asif Mehmood on the basis of this settlement the same day. On Dec 3, ADSJ Atta Rabbani handed over custody of Tayyaba to her parents, in a manner the Supreme Court referred to as “hasty”.

The chief justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, took suo motu notice of the abuse and subsequent settlement on Dec 4.

On Jan 18, during a hearing of the case, Justice Nisar called the settlement – on the basis of which Ms Zafar obtained pre-arrest bail – between the ADSJ and the child’s parents “unacceptable”.

He said the court was conscious that the proceedings regarding the handing over of Tayyaba were conducted hastily and without verification.

An investigation into the case found that the ADSJ had employed the child as a housemaid and confirmed that she had been tortured by his wife.

The incomplete investigation report submitted before the SC on Jan 18 states that the “investigation was carried out from all angles and it revealed that young Tayyaba was brutally tortured by the lady accused Maheen”.

The police accused the ADSJ of employing Tayyaba as a housemaid, and said he did not provide her with the appropriate medical treatment upon seeing her “acute” injuries. “He cannot be absolved at this stage,” the report said.

On the SC’s direction, the police are also investigating the role of Raja Zahoor Hassan, the legal counsel for Tayyaba’s parents who allegedly served Mr Khan’s interests.

Mr Zahoor is a close friend of another serving ADSJ, and allegedly brought Tayyaba’s parents from their village, kept them in a house in Islamabad and then put their thumb impressions on the compromise deed.

Published in Dawn January 22nd, 2017