ISLAMABAD: After a three-day search, police finally managed to track down Tayyaba, the minor housemaid who was allegedly tortured by the family of an Islamabad additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ).

The 10-year-old went missing after she was turned over to a couple purporting to be her parents after they submitted signed affidavits before a local court, negating the girl’s claim and absolving the ADSJ of any culpability.

On Sunday, police and other law enforcement agencies recovered the girl from a residence in a suburb of the federal capital.

A senior police officer told Dawn: “The child will be produced before the apex court and a detailed report will be submitted.” He claimed that police was able to track her down when the mobile phone of Tayyaba’s father was switched on for some time.

Tayyaba will now be produced before the Supreme Court, medically examined

Another police official who was not authorised to speak on the record said that the family that was taking care of Tayyaba had informed the police of her whereabouts.

The Ministry of Interior also confirmed that the child and her parents had been recovered from a suburb of the federal capital.

Initially, a police report claimed that her injuries were caused by falling down the stairs.

However, when the Islamabad High Court took notice of the issue and ordered an inquiry, the girl told Assistant Commissioner Nisha Ishtiaq that she had been tortured by ADSJ Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife.

Not only did the judge and his wife manage to obtain bail, but a couple claiming to be the girl’s family arrived from Jaranwala and submitted affidavits saying they did not want to file a complaint against the judge and his wife.

Then, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the matter and ordered the district administration to conduct a fresh medical examination of the girl to verify her claim.

Police initially thought the child may have been taken back to her native village and conducted raids across Punjab in an effort to trace her.

Meanwhile, two other women approached the Supreme Court, claiming to be Tayyaba’s mother.

The apex court ordered DNA tests, and the two women have already furnished blood and hair samples at Pims.

On Saturday, another woman, claiming to be Tayyaba’s grandmother filed an application with Margalla Police asking for custody of the minor.

Pims, which has been waiting to conduct a court-ordered medical examination of the young girl, will convene its medical board on Monday.

The Pims administrator told Dawn that they were in touch with police. “We will be ready to hold the medical board on Monday to establish whether Tayyaba was really tortured and what actually caused her wounds.

“We will also be obtaining samples to conduct a DNA test, but it is up to the police when they produce the child,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2017