RAWALPINDI: A 12 year old girl domestic worker, Iqra, died at Holy Family Hospital after allegedly being tortured by her employers in Rawalpindi, according to a report by a private TV channel.
As per the report, the incident took place in the Asghar Mall area of Rawalpindi, under Banni Police Station. Iqra was seriously injured and taken to the hospital, where she passed away.
Police have arrested the main suspects, Rashid Shafiq and his wife, Sana. A case has been registered on the complaint of Iqra’s father. The FIR includes murder charges and seven other sections of the law.
Tv report say Iqra was from Mandi Bahauddin and worked as a domestic helper for Rs8,000 per month. Police said the accused had earlier misled authorities by falsely claiming that her parents had died.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Pakistan has at least 8.5 million domestic workers, mostly women and young girls, domestic work is common in the informal economy but remains unregistered and outside labour laws.
Many domestic workers face poor working conditions without proper safety and sanitation. A 2022 ILO study found that one in four households in Pakistan employs a child for domestic work, mainly girls aged 10 to 14.
Unicef reports that 3.3 million Pakistani children are engaged in child labour. This denies them education, health, and a better future, keeping them in poverty.
