A 14-year-old student suffered a broken nose and other injuries allegedly due to severe physical abuse by a female teacher at a religious seminary in Charsadda. The local police have registered a preliminary report and launched an investigation.
The girl’s father, Nasir Ali, revealed that his daughter, a fourth-grade student at Madrassa Aisha al-Banat in Charsadda's Ghareebabad, was brutally beaten by her teacher on Monday, resulting in her broken nose and head injuries. Shockingly, no medical attention was provided to her after the incident.
Nasir Ali, who works as a laborer in Islamabad, shared tearfully that he visited his daughter after taking leave from work, but the seminary administration kept making excuses to prevent him from meeting her. After several hours, a few students brought her out in a wheelchair.
“When I saw my daughter being brought out in a wheelchair, I felt like the sky had fallen on me," Nasir Ali said. "She was so scared that she couldn’t speak up about what happened. It was only later at home that she recounted the ordeal to her mother."
Nasir Ali explained that his daughter was in severe pain, and when taken to the doctor, it was revealed that she had been severely beaten, causing her nose and head injuries, as well as damage to other parts of her body.
Also Read: Polio Worker Dies Due to Heat in Nowshera; Locals Demand Compensation for Her Family
“I am deeply saddened and outraged,” he continued. “Even if they chose to punish her, they could have at least taken her to a doctor out of basic humanity. Instead, the seminary administration treated her painful condition as if it was a ruse.”
Nasir Ali has decided not to send his daughter back to the madrassa. On the other hand, the madrassa administration has refused to comment, although internal sources claim they were unaware of the teacher's actions. The administration has strict instructions against corporal punishment.
Sources also suggest that the madrassa administration admits its negligence and regrets the incident. A local council (jirga) has been formed to resolve the matter amicably.
The City police station has started an inquiry based on the complaint lodged by the victim's father. Station House Officer (SHO) Ahmed Khan stated that, so far, a preliminary report has been registered, but no arrests have been made. The filing of a First Information Report (FIR) will follow the expert opinion of the concerned doctor, after which the arrest process will commence.
He assured that a transparent investigation would be conducted and that he had met with the girl’s father to promise justice.
Imran Takkar, a child rights activist, emphasized that experts in health, psychology, and education agree that corporal punishment negatively impacts children’s academic and mental development. Research shows that violence against children fosters aggression and social issues.
Takkar stated that a primary reason for children dropping out of school is the abuse they suffer at the hands of teachers in both schools and madrasas. He highlighted that Pakistan signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, and under Article 19 of this convention, it is the state's responsibility to protect children from physical and mental abuse.
He further noted a 2005 survey from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa indicating that children face 28 types of punishments at home and 43 types at schools. A 2009 survey showed that 92% of public schools, 86% of private schools, and 83% of religious seminaries engage in physical and mental punishments.
