Death of Shazia causes outrage against child labor in Pakistan

The case of Shazia’s murder has become a symbol of crime against the children of Pakistani nation. The 12 year old Christian girl was employed by Advocate Naeem illegally since the child labor law of the country does not allow it but the worst thing that shook the entire nation was the inhuman torture of the child that ultimately resulted in her death. Equally shameful and condemnable is the fact that the accused tried to bribe the victim’s family in order to keep silent over the crime and even the police refused to register a case at first. It was only after the national media, especially private TV channels, highlighted the issue and followed it with a sense of responsibility toward the nation’s innocent children that the authorities were forced to take action against the accused who had considered himself above the law. As Shazia’s wounded corpse was shown repeatedly on television, tears welled up in the eyes of caring souls. At the same time, electronic media along with independent papers deserve all the credit for speaking up against inhuman crimes that victimize children. Shazia murder case has shown that media can be the true, primary, and perhaps the only advocate of the poor Pakistani citizens.