Islamabad: The news of the suspension of sentence and bail granted to a man convicted in child pornography case by Lahore High Court has triggered a wave of public anger in Pakistan.
The man named Saadat Amin was arrested in 2018 and jailed for seven years in what was the country’s first-ever conviction for child pornography. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime cell launched the probe on the complaint of embassy of Norway in 2017.
65,000 child pornography clips recovered
Amin was accused of being an active member of an international nexus of child pornographers with links in Sweden, Italy, UK and US. The cyber crime circle of FIA accused him of “possessing, transmitting and producing pornographic pictures and sexually explicit videos” of children between the ages of 8 and 14 years old which were then sent over to James Lindstorm, his main client in Norway, as per local reports.
The report also charged him for financial fraud through Western Union and MoneyGram. Amin received between $100 and $400 in separate transactions. It was revealed during the interrogation that Amin “had been selling child pornographic content online for the last few years .. on the pretext of teaching them computer skills in Sargodha,” FIA Assistant Director and investigator Asif Iqbal told media earlier. FIA had recovered some 65,000 child pornography video clips from his possession, Iqbal added.
Public fury over the release
The news triggered public anger over judiciary and police as many parents questioned the nature of law “that allows serious offenders to return to commit new crimes.” The news also sparked outrage on social media where people demanded justice and protection for the children.
Author Asra Nomani said on Twitter: “Oh no. Another disturbing judicial decision in Pakistan at a time of coronavirus, this time releasing a convicted pedophile and child pornographer from jail. What’s going on? Poor children of Pakistan.”
Prominent activist Shahid Raza demanded “exemplary punishment” for child abusers. “Child rape, porno cases are shut down because the culprits are people of power. The abusers and tormentors of our children deserve to be awarded exemplary punishment - however they are protected by coward men in black robes. Their underlings and suppliers are also being freed.”
Interestingly, one of the investigators, Asif Iqbal, also took to Twitter and shared with the public that: “I investigated this case and the sentence was awarded on merit. We had to go through a lot of trouble during the investigation and trial but FIA cyber crime performed its duty with full sincerity and the culprit was awarded maximum punishment.”
“Disturbing news”
Talking to Gulf News, Valerie Khan, Islamabad-based child protection specialist, said the public outrage is understandable. She’s seeking access to the court document to comprehend the reason on which the bail was granted. “But if this is true and if this person has really been bailed out it is very disturbing,” she said. “We cannot afford to have people outside who pose a danger to children in the absence of monitoring and rehabilitative measures.”
Rights activist and lawyer, Jibran Nasir, said he is not aware of the details of the case yet but commenting on the news, he said: “One cannot easily get out on bail in the presence of digital evidence. If there’s a child pornography case, it is clear that the evidence was strong. And if his appeal was still granted it means the government failed to prosecute him successfully.” When asked why the serious offenders such as child sexual abusers keep slipping through the cracks in the system, he said: “The challan (report of investigating officer) is what makes or breaks the case. The challan must properly name the accused, the nature of the crime and lists the witnesses. For a fair trial, evidence must be procured, sealed, secured and presented in a proper way and courts must function in a speedy manner.”
Gulf News contacted Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari for a comment but she was not available.
Pornography case harsh reminder of Zainab case
The news has brought back painful memories of the rape and brutal murder of eight-year-old Zainab in 2018. Her tragic death shook the nation and triggered mass protests. “After Zainab’s death, we expected that there would be strict laws and punishment to protect our children from these monsters. But sadly nothing has changed. The culprits are set free even after being convicted,” Azra Usman, a banker and mother of two, told Gulf News.
In 2015, a paedophile and pornography ring was busted after reports of sexual abuse of at least 200 children in Hussain Khanwala village of Punjab. Three years later, the 12 men who were accused in the 2015 case in Kasur, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
“It is critical that stronger, more vigilant mechanisms [should] be enforced to protect young children. Police stations, the hospitals, the courts and society overall must become more child-friendly .. to provide the protection and support to children and their families” according to Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Dr. Mehdi Hasan.
