Pakistan Christian TV - Legal setbacks hamper fight for justice for Shazia

Legal setbacks hamper fight for justice for Shazia - CLAAS

Lahore, Pakistan: February 25, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

CLAAS is continuing to seek justice for a 12-year-old Christian domestic servant murdered by her Muslim employer despite several legal challenges and the use of intimidation tactics against CLAAS lawyers.Shazia Bashir Masih is believed to have been tortured to death by the Lahore High Court Advocate Chadhry Mohammad Naeem while working at his family home on 22 January.

It is Naeem’s status as a former president of the Lahore Bar Association that has complicated the case and made bringing him to trial extremely challenging. The Lahore Bar Association passed a resolution declaring their support of Chadhry Mohammad Naeem on 27 January.

Prominent lawyers have declined to take up the case against Naeem because of threats from the Lahore Bar Association, who have acted aggressively towards CLAAS lawyers and taken the law into their own hands with next to no resistance from law enforcement agencies.

The defendant’s lawyers attempted to block CLAAS lawyers from entering the court by threatening them and tearing up their power of attorney documents. They have threatened to burn to death anyone who represents Shazia’s family in court.

Their actions prompted Christians to hold peaceful demonstrations demanding the protection of the CLAAS legal team and relatives of Shazia. Only after petitioning the court judge, were provisions made to enable CLAAS lawyers to enter the court and present their case for prosecution on 13 February.

Contrary to some reports, Naeem has not been acquitted by the Lahore court but was released on bail on 13 February. The CLAAS legal team and Shazia’s mother Nasreen Bibi were present for the hearing, as were around 50 of the defendant’s lawyers who threatened CLAAS lawyers. Although he was eventually allowed to contest the appeal for bail after complaining to session court judge Shafique ul Rehman, CLAAS’s arguments were not taken into consideration and Naeem was granted bail.

Despite coming under enormous pressure from Naeem’s supporters and lawyers, CLAAS is prepared to take this case to the high court. We request that you pray that justice will be done for Shazia’s family and that CLAAS lawyers will fight the case with courage.

Legal setbacks hamper fight for justice for Shazia - CLAAS

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