Report on Nazir Masih (Bonded Labour)
The Voice Society was approached by Mr. Shamaun Mukhtiar a previous client/victim of The Voice Society. He told The Voice Society about Nazir and his family who is detained by the Gujjars namely Irfan Gujjar, Imran Gujjar and Danish Gujjar Alias Dani Gujjar, they use to torture Nazir and rape his wife Parveen Bibi. They had also attempted to rape their eldest daughter Rimsha who is about 12years old. The Coordinator Aneeqa Maria asked Shamaun to bring Nazir Masih to The Voice’s office.
Nazir Masih’s Statement: Nazir Masih along with his wife Parveen and his cousin Shamaun reached the Voice office on 11-03-15, at about 3:00pm in the afternoon. Nazir Masih told that he borrowed about twenty thousand rupees from Irfan Gujjar two years ago and decided to work for him at his house on 10,000PKR as a salary where as he will pay Rs.8000 cash and the rest of the money will be deducted as his loan until his loan is paid. From that time until now they have not paid 8,000 PKR in any month; they use to give us two, three thousand. “There is no time or day in the past two years when my children slept their tummy’s full”. My children and us sleep empty stomach every day. We eat once a day hardly. The Gujjars use to beat me when I am tired of working, I plough their fields, I give food to the cattle, I fill water for the house and for the cattle, in short I alone do every Zamindara work and all their house’s works but they pay me nothing, when I demand my salary or ask them for money for the sake of feeding m children or bringing any medicine for my children or myself they threaten me and torture me, always demanding their money. That’s why I could not bear their torture and felt ill, I left the Haveli where they kept us, and went to live in my relative’s house for my treatment but they did not allowed my family to join me saying that your wife will replace you.
Parveen Rehmat wife of Nazir Masih’s Statement: Parveen Bibi told that Irfan Gujjar and his fellows used to rape me, even if I was working day and night there, I was grazing their cattle and doing all the work of their house, they also involved my children in their work without any money but still they wanted their money and they kept on demanding the money from time to time and upon my refusal they used to rape me. They are doing this practice from last three months. They have raped me several times but there was no body to rescue me. I had no place to go, or no body to ask for help. Sometimes the neighbors helped but most of the time nobody bothered. Last night they again came and tortured me and my children and raped me and demanded their money. They also attempted to rape my eldest daughter who is 12 years old but neighbors and myself rescued her. We demand justice; I beg for your help and for the rescue of my family and children said Parveen bibi crying. She also added that they had detained my children. They do not allow us all to leave together. If I am leaving then they keep my children and my eldest son Numan aged about 9 years is in their constant custody, they have kept him tied in ropes and do not allow him to go anywhere.
The Voice’s Coordinator, Aneeqa Maria have filed a habeas corpus petition against the SHO and the Accused persons namely Irfan, Imran and Danish Gujjar sons of Farzand Gujjar in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Mr. Shazaib Saeed and got the orders for Bailiff for the recovery of the detenues and their children. A bailiff along with the Voice’s team including Adv. Aneeqa Maria, Mr. Shahid Anthony, Mr. Napolean Qayyum, Mr. Imran Barkat and Mr. Imran Zafar went to the Village Chung, Haveli Chung for the recovery of the detenues. “We took the police force from the police station Chung and went to the village where we were expecting the detenues be kept. On reaching there the bailiff first recovered the Parveen Bibi along with her five children namely Asha aged about 11 years, Nisha aged about 10 years, Luqman aged about 8 years, Shan aged about 3 years and Safian aged about 1 year, whereas the other two children named Numan 9 years and Rimsha 12 years were not present there. The people present in the Haveli tried to attack Parveen and also upon the Voice’s team member Mr. Shahid Anthony but the police protected them. Upon inquiring about the other two children Parveen told that she had sent Rimsha to her relative’s house because the above said culprits have tried to rape her as well, whereas Nauman is in their custody in another house. Finally Police along with the Voice team, Bailiff and the parents and recovered Nauman from the second house of the Gujjars
The bailiff brought them all to the police station, took their statements and allowed them to go wherever they wanted to go. The next day court gave the orders of the release of the family after hearing arguments from both prosecution and defense side.