Thousands turn out for Shazia funeral

Published Date: January 29, 2010

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Thousands turned out at Lahore’s Catholic Cathedral Monday for the funeral of Shazia, the 12-year-old Christian domestic servant who is alleged to have died from mistreatment at the hands of her employers.

Church leaders present included the Archbishop of Lahore the Most Rev Subastine, Bishop of Lahore the Rt Rev Dr Alexander John Malik, and the Bishop of Iran and Gulf the Rt Rev Azad Marshall, Pakistan Christian TV reports.

Also present were Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti and Minister for Minority and Human Rights in the Punjab Kamran Michael.

Shazia was working for just 1,000 rupees ($20) a month to support her poor parents. Her job as a maid with Chaudhry Naeem required her to live at his home full-time. Her mother Chaudhry Nasreen says she was not allowed to visit her daughter and that Chaudhry Naeem did not pay her for Shazia’s work.

Despite repeated efforts to make contact with their daughter, the first news they heard of her came last Friday when Chaudhry Naeem visited to tell them that Shazia had been admitted to hospital that morning in a critical condition. It was upon arriving at the hospital that Nasreen discovered her daughter had in fact died as a result of her injuries.

Nasir Saeed, head of CLAAS in the UK, said the existence of 10 million child labourers in Pakistan was an “obvious violation” of the child labour laws, which prohibit the employment of children below the age of 14.

“The murder of Shazia is not an isolated act of violence. Domestic servants are often subject to brutal violence and the government at the provincial and federal level is failing to put a stop to it.

SOURCE

12-year-old is latest victim of Muslim cruelty - CLAAS (Pakistan Christian TV)

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