Over a month after a Muslim landlord allegedly paraded three Christian women naked in Pakistan’s Punjab province, a court here has finally taken notice of the matter and directed a judge to investigate the incident.
The Lahore high court on Friday ordered the district and sessions judge, Kasur, to probe the matter and submit a report within two weeks.
The three Christian women were allegedly brutally beaten and then paraded naked by armed men of Muhammad Munir, a local landlord said to be having the backing of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, in Pattoki area of Kasur district, some 50 km from here.
The incident took place in the first week of June.
The matter came to light a few days after the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued a news release to the media.
According to the victim’s family head Sadiq Masih, the male members of his family had gone out on their jobs when the attackers led by Munir entered his house.
Munir demanded Masih to produce his sons who earlier had a brawl with him over a cattle issue.
Failing to find them there, the attackers took the wives of Masih’s three sons with them.
Munir and his armed men first disrobed the women and then forcibly paraded them naked in the streets.
As the women screamed and shouted for help, some elderly people of the village came out to their rescue. They put their turbans on the feet of the attackers, pleading them to leave the women.
After this, the attackers let the women go but warned the villagers and the victim family against reporting the matter to the police.