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Propeller
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.
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