Country’s biggest child abuse scandal jolts Punjab

GANDA SINGH WALA - Punjab’s leading child protection official has called for a federal inquiry into ‘the largest-ever child abuse scandal in Pakistan’s history’ after the discovery of 400 videos recording more than 280 children being forced to have sex.  Most of the victims were under 14 but include a six year old boy who was forced to perform a homosexual act and a 10 year old schoolgirl who was filmed being molested by a 14 year old boy.
Videos of these assaults were filmed and thousands of copies are believed to have been sold for Rs50 each in Hussain Khanwala village in Kasur district. One of the victims said he was injected in the spine with a drug before he was assaulted.
The scale of the scandal emerged earlier this week after the victims’ parents clashed police during a protest against their failure to prosecute the men who orchestrated the scandal. Two dozen people were injured when police used force to disperse more than 4,000 protesters on the Dipalpur Road near Dolaywala village in Kasur district on Tuesday who were calling for justice for the victims.
They have claimed that local police have tried to cover up the scandal and that the perpetrators have used their influence to avoid being charged.
Saba Sadiq, head of Punjab’s Child Protection Bureau, described the case as “the largest-ever child abuse scandal in Pakistan’s history” and said a provincial inquiry announced by the chief minister “would be taken up at federal level to safeguard the children rights in future.”
The number of victims in this child abuse ring is almost three times higher than in the case of Javed Iqbal in the late 1990s when around 100 children were sexually abused and murdered in Lahore. Saba Sadiq said the provincial government would change the law to ensure “vigorous punishment for such criminals.”
So far only six alleged abusers have been arrested, five of whom have been remanded in custody but according to parents of the victims the abuse was orchestrated by a gang of up to 25 young men and teenagers led by two men in their 40s.
The gang arranged the abuse, perpetrated it in many cases, and then used the videotapes of the assaults to blackmail the children and their families to hand over millions of rupees. Many of the children stole gold ornaments from their parents to pay off their abusers to keep their ordeal secret.


The abuse began in 2006 and continued until one year ago, police said. They have seized more than 400 videos depicting the assaults, and many of the parents have identified their children as victims in the films. Some of the clips showed that some of the victims were abused for more than an hour.

Video's screen grab showing one of the rooms
In one clip five to six young men are seen molesting a seven-year-old boy. The ‘producers’ recorded the videos at different locations – in the open fields, washrooms, bedrooms, and at deserted houses.
“We have arrested six persons after registering six separate cases against them on the complaints of the victims. Five of the accused are on physical remand while the sixth has obtained pre-arrest bail,” District Police Officer Rai Babar Saeed told The Nation.

Video screen grab: Crickets chirping in a field, voices asking, 'Will you do this again?' 
He said the police seized the videos for evidences. “I don’t know why they made videos and what was their agenda? Police are investigating,” he added.


Police sources said the main suspect had been released after a Rs5 million bribe was paid on his behalf and victims families said they had been subjected to pressure by a local political figure to withdraw the allegations.

One mother aged 35, said she had to sell her gold ornaments to pay Rs 600,000 to the blackmailers for the videos of her 14 year old son being abused to be erased. “They made the video of my son in 2011. We have been paying money to the blackmailers for the last four years. I have seen the videos. It was disgusting and shameful,” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. “We are seriously thinking to set our houses on fire and leave the locality.”
A 10-year-old said he was taken to a haveli by the gang at gunpoint. “After being brutally tortured, I was administered “spinal injection” and I was dozing when five to six men molested me one by one,” he said.
The police have arrested a 13-year-old boy for having sex with another child. His mother said her son is innocent because he committed the crime under duress. “They (producers of the clips) not only molested the children themselves but they also asked the victims to rape each other on camera,” she told The Nation.
“Everyone in this village is a victim. Our children both boys and girls are raped and blackmailed,” said another victim’s mother.
Another boy said he was molested by the same gang in 2006. “I was just nine years old when I was abducted and taken to a deserted house. I was brutally tortured when I offered resistance. Then they administered a spinal injection. I was raped multiple times by several men at gunpoint. I decided not to tell anybody.
Six months later, the accused showed me the video clips when I refused to perform sexual acts on camera again. It was horrible,” he said. The family of a ten year old girl forced to perform a sex act in her school uniform said they had paid a million rupees to their blackmailers but they had not erased the video.
Another villager said the gang had sold videos of the children to gay porn sites operating from the UK, USA, and Europe. One victim said he once heard one of the gang leaders talking on Skype to a customer abroad. “Once I saw, Shirazi was talking to someone on Skype. He was talking about the videos of children and money in return. They were collecting a huge amount in dollars from the dealers abroad,” he said.
One villager who led the campaign to expose the scandal told The Nation he had been warned he would be killed if he did not withdraw his claims. On Thursday night, he was picked up by police when he was returning home from Lahore. The police used his mobile phone and contacts to force the activists to cancel a protest demonstration scheduled for Friday.
Social media is outraged:
 Curtsey:The Nation, August 08, 2015

Child abuse scandal:Pakistan has failed its children once again

Mahwash Ajaz

The failure is collective, make no mistake

iChildren are the future, they say. They are proof that God is not yet disappointed with humanity, they say. A little baby’s laughter, the innocence of toddlers, the curiosity and tenacity of pre-pubescents – they are all equally wonderful as they are enigmatic. 
On December 16, 2014, there was no dry eye when 141 beautiful little children were killed mercilessly by Taliban. There was plenty of rage and emotion and hurt and scurrying of committees and political and military statements. A few months down the line, we see ‘banned’ extremist organization holding pro-Army rallies and holding alliances with politicians and even hear them giving interviews. In Akora, Sami ul Haq pledged allegiance to Taliban’s new spokesperson. Business as usual. One hundred and forty one beautiful little children. Gone. That’s 282 parents, their extended families/friends (the number being higher than merely 141) whose lives will be merely a shadow of life itself. Their joys are in a cold hard grave somewhere. 
On August 8, 2015, a frightening and horrifying scandal surfaced, once again that targeted our children. Once again there was hurt and rage and questions and justifications. Once again discussions and social media is on fire with rants and crossfires. The details of the scandal are absolutely nerve wrecking. And amongst all the verbosity of debates, the real victims are forgotten.
As reported by The Nation, the abuse mafia began operating in 2006. It was blackmailing, torturing, sexually exploiting children. Abuse ranged from ordering children to perform sexual abuse on each other and were later asked to produce money to stop these videos from going public. The even more harrowing detail is in how these videos were marketed in various countries. It is difficult for me to talk about this without a terrible feeling of doom and anguish. The thought of those 280 children traumatised for life, subjected to humiliation and spinal injections – is horrifying.
The failure is collective, make no mistake. The fault lies with our political preferences (which we so rush to defend, regardless of the crimes our political gods commit). The Nation’s reporter Ashraf Javed stated that PMLN MPA was Malik Ahmad Saeed who pressurised the police for the suspect’s release. It is also suggested that he tried to hush up the scandal/abuse instead of exposing the criminals. The plight sounds familiar. A PMLN MNA was recently caught in a rape controversy but the victim ‘withdrew’ the allegations the very next day. One can expect a political reply to a non-political situation for something as horrible as this Kasur tragedy as well.
The fault lies in our justice system which is so deeply politicised and allows influence of military and political setups. Terrorists are able to roam free and openly threat sitting judges if and when they dare to rule against the criminals. The fault lies in inadequate laws. Assemblies and parliamentarians and lawyers that are so quick to ban “Urdu pronunciations” for Arabic words, quick to label everyone as traitors, happy to sit on talk shows and give circular logics, love parading on the streets with their party slogans and beat each other up over by-elections, fail to understand the emergency situation that we have on our hands. Our future is being massacred and exploited and abused in front of our very eyes and we are making excuses. There was even someone who said that parents are the most responsible in such a case. 
The fault lies in the danger we have created for victims. We have made our society into an unsafe place for those who want to speak out against atrocities. Whenever it is the weak or the poor who want justice, we have made it a point to stand with the elite. We have come up with various types of justifications against injustices. “She wore a skirt so she was raped.” “Parents are to blame because their children got abducted.” “It’s not political.” “Parents must have been involved.” Ad infinitum.
The fault lies in our institutions that have no clear stance on sexual violence, especially when it comes to children. Pakistan has failed its children once again. The laws are feeble at best. The NGOs, the child protection bodies have failed us. The policies, the army, the democracy. This is all becoming a blurry bunch of statements in front of the glaringly obvious moment of pain and humiliation.
Curtsey:The Nation, August 08, 2015

Kasur children were abused, how many is the question
MOOSA ABBAS

• Media outlets report occurrence of 280 cases of child abuse in Kasur alongside filming of 400 porn videos for international websites
• Law minister, DPO, RPO says case pertained to a property feud over 19 acres of land and not child abuse, porn videos lifted from internet
• DPO says seven cases of sexual assault, harassment and blackmailing registered, five members of Shirazi groups arrested while one is on bail
• Enquiry committee says raids being conducted to apprehend six of 12 men identified through videos of alleged abuse

 An earth shattering case of alleged mass child abuse in a Kasur village found its way to a muddle with some government officials negating the occurrence of more than 274 cases of sodomy, claiming that the “propaganda” had its roots in an old land feud.
In a report titled “Country’s biggest child abuse scandal jolts Punjab”, local English dailyThe Nation claimed the discovery of 400 videos recording of more than 280 children being forced to have sex. It claimed, “Most of the victims were under 14 but include a six year old boy who was forced to perform a homosexual act and a 10 year old schoolgirl who was filmed being molested by a 14 year old boy.”

The children who were targeted were reportedly blackmailed and coerced into stealing jewellery and money from their own homes. Families eventually learnt of the crime when several children confessed to their parents, the reports said.
In the meanwhile, Dunya News channel put the number of abused children at 274 with around 400 videos recorded in Ganda Singh Wala area near Kasur.
Per the channel’s analysts and sources, the parents of the victim children approached the police for having their cases registered but were reportedly turned away by the law enforcers.
Protesters had come out on the streets after news broke out of the police letting go of one of the arrested suspects. They claimed that the police had accepted bribes to turn a blind eye to the activities of the 25-man gang.
A news channel’s sources claimed that villagers would not have resorted to protest, block the Dipalpur Road and clash with policemen– which was reported earlier against the alleged mass molestation– if the police had paid heed to their complaints.
Per several reports, the first FIR of the case was registered on July 1. A total of eight FIRs have been registered so far at the Ganda Singhwala Police Station, seven for assault and one for threats, the reports added.
ARRESTS AND INVESTIGATION:
The Punjab chief minister took notice after clashes erupted over the past few days between protesters and police in villages around Kasur, some of which grew violent, injuring both citizens and policemen.
Later on, six men accused of being involved in the child abuse and pornography scandal were arrested, a report submitted to the Punjab chief minister revealed on Saturday.
The report, prepared by an enquiry committee formed to investigate the case, added that raids are being conducted to apprehend six other men. All 12 men were identified through videos of abuse that investigators had acquired.
The committee, comprising Additional Inspector General (IG) Arif Nawaz Khan and Commissioner Lahore Division Abdullah Sunbal, presented its findings to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who has directed authorities to apprehend any individuals involved in such incidents.
The chief minister directed Kasur DPO Rai Babar Saeed that other accused involved in abusing the children should be arrested immediately. He said that the persons involved in such heinous incidents will not escape punishment under the law and Punjab government will award deterrent punishment to the accused as per law.
THE REAL CASE?
In the meanwhile, according to a contradictory narrative run by SAMAA TV, the “actual case” pertained to a property feud over “intentions to grab 19 acres of government land” as opposed to an “exaggerated” case of child abuse.
According to the narrative, which is also supported by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, District Police Officer (DPO) Rai Babar Saeed and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Shahzada Sultan, the scandal was the result of an old feud between Master Zafar and Shirazi groups at Hussainwala Village in Kasur.
DPO Saeed accused Master Zafar group of putting pressure on their rivals for the sake of grabbing 19 acre state land.
In the case, he said that five members of the Shirazi group – Haseem Amir, Faizan Majeed, Basharat Cheema, Ali Majeed and Abdul Manan were under arrest while one was on bail. “We have registered seven cases of sexual assault, harassment and blackmailing,” Saeed added.

Moreover, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah backed the police version and urged media to practice responsible journalism as the whole scandal was “defaming Pakistan”. He said that land dispute was the main reason behind the scandal.
“I thank SAMAA for reporting the truth and urge others to follow suit,” he said.
Speaking to the private TV channel, the Punjab law minister agreed that a case for inciting people for protest against the national interest could be formed against the accused.
Meanwhile, RPO Shahzada Sultan admitted that some incidents of child abuse took place in Kasur over a period of seven years. He said some of the incidents of sodomy were also filmed. He said that eight such cases had emerged since July 5.
However, to a question, Sultan said that there were around 25 to 30 victims.
Moreover, it has also been highlighted that the number of child victims claimed in the accusations does not match with the actual number of children present in the village.
In a statement on behalf of the Punjab government, MPA Zaeem Qadri said that a JIT has been formed and the case needed to be probed “quickly, thoroughly and afresh”. He made it a point saying that the accused will be tried per law if found guilty.
In the meanwhile, according to a private TV channel, “the case of child abuse was being changed under pressure by the politically influential rival groups”.
Earlier, The Nation had reported that police had allegedly freed the main suspect after a Rs 5 million bribe and the victim families were being influenced by the local MPA, Malik Saeed to withdraw the cases.
Curtsey:Pakistan Today, August 08, 2015
How many more children;s peace needs to be robbed before our authorities take action?
According to a survey: in Pakistan, children less than 18 years of age are falling prey to child sexual abuse at the rate of 6 children perday which is alarming

Qurat-ul-Ain Zaidi

We are going through the worst of times. From mega corruption scams to shrinking sovereignty of the state combined with the rude mushrooming of terrorist organizations and their franchises – everything looks like a total mess, where most of the people prefer to remain complacent. Just seven months after the deadliest attack on Army Public School, Peshawar, which took the lives of scores of innocent students, we hear another devastating news: this time, the shame engulfs us with a greater intensity after we find out that 280 children have been molested in Ganda Singh Wala, Punjab.
280 is not the number of kids, but the number of families who have been affected by this heinous crime. According to the initial news, innocent school-going kids were robbed of their innocence by a gang of approximately 25 men. Young girls and boys, aged between 7 and 15, were forced to have sex in front of the camera and in turn those videos were sold to potential buyers residing abroad, who promote child pornography. It is reported that some of the children’s parents paid the amount to prevent the further sale of these videos but all in vain.
Sadly, sexual abuse has always been neglected by our society – the society which, on the other hand, gives a lot of reverence to norms and religious values. Sometimes this behavior, in order to protect its morals, becomes an indirect force which results in the suppression of these events. Sometimes parents remain reluctant to go to police station to avoid the thana culture and try to settle such matters outside of the court. This impacts law enforcing agencies in turn, and the culprits who become more powerful.
Sexual abuse is perceived as shameful and taboo, hence hundreds of innocent lives live with the shadow, memories and trauma of the assault. Several children surrender their lives in the name of honor or absorb the pain for fear of losing a loved one, if the secret is revealed. In the past, cases related to child sexual abuse were reported by the media using humiliating words that caused more harm than good to the victim, who was then forced to live under anathema.
According to a survey: in Pakistan, children less than 18 years of age are falling prey to child sexual abuse at the rate of 6 children per day which is alarming in this state which brags about being created in the name of religion and tries to proves itself moralistic all the time.
We need an effective legislation to put an end to such acts, and to promote a culture where the victim no longer feels ashamed or insecure about reporting it to the police. Twenty years after Pakistan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, laws to shelter children from violence are still missing. However, some progress has been made in the form of new sections in Criminal Law and in the form of Child Protection Act.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014, provides some hope by the insertion of a new section 292-A which defines “exposure to seduction” under the law. According to it, whoever involves in the activity of seduction by any means shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year and may extend up to seven years or fine which shall not be less than one hundred thousand rupees and may extend to five hundred thousand rupees, or both.
Another important development which is relevant in this regard is the insertion of section 292-B which deals with child pornography, while 292C presents its punishment. It must be noted that Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, also deals with the idea of sodomy in 299-G.
This incident and scores of others of the same kind in which culprits have fearlessly committed sodomy and child molestation, have slapped our laws in the face. Greater work is needed to be done for the execution of such laws, and for keeping a vigilant eye on child pornography and other similar websites. Moreover, our society should promote an atmosphere which does not make the victim more vulnerable.
Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul. I hope the state proves me wrong this time and will provide the necessary psychological assistance to the victims to enable them to live freely again without bearing marks of injuries on their bodies, minds, and souls.
Curtsey:The Nation, August 08, 2015