ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Human Rights on Tuesday formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the alleged torture of differently-abled children at the Special Education Centre in H-9 and suspended the officials involved in the incident.

The committee will be headed by Special Education director general.

The ministry took the step after a video clip went viral in which a man can be seen beating up special children. His act received condemnation on social media.

When contacted, the ministry spokesperson, Fatima Batool, said Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada had taken notice of the incident, and on his direction a fact-finding committee had been formed.

She said the officials involved in the incident had been suspended.

Meanwhile, the human rights ministry, on its twitter handle, announced that the officials involved in the torture of students had been suspended and DG Special Education had been asked to submit a fact-finding report on Wednesday.

An officer of Special Education, wishing not to be named, said: “Under the existing law of the country, teachers were not even allowed to torture normal students, let alone special children.”

He said the human rights ministry had expressed its concern and would take exemplary action on the basis of the fact-finding report.

The official said the ministry was supposed to protect the rights of citizens, therefore it was alarming that special students faced torture in a centre that was attached to the ministry.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023