A 12-year-old domestic worker named Zainab was tortured to death in Sheikhupura’s Olakh Park area, allegedly by the family that employed her, police confirmed on Thursday.
According to police, a lady health worker, her husband and their 20-year-old son beat the child with sticks until she died. Police arrested the husband shortly after the incident, while efforts are underway to apprehend the woman and her son.
Zainab’s mother told police that her daughter worked full-time at the home of Farukhanda Bibi for a monthly wage of only Rs4,000. The disclosure has sharpened the focus on the conditions of child domestic workers in Punjab.
The case adds to a grim pattern of violence against child domestic workers in Pakistan, where young girls employed in private homes often work in isolation with little oversight. Rights advocates have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement of child labour protections.
Following the death, the victim’s family has appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for justice. Police say the investigation is ongoing and that the two remaining suspects will be arrested soon.
