RAWALPINDI – A young woman who earned a livelihood by selling miswak was allegedly confined in a hotel in the Pirwadhai area and subjected to repeated sexual abuse over an extended period. According to police, when the victim became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl, the child was taken away from her. She was then allegedly blackmailed and the abuse continued.
Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani took notice of the harrowing incident. A case has been registered, and a woman identified as Tayyaba alias Aalia and hotel manager Saeed have been arrested. The infant girl has been safely recovered.
The Victim’s Account
The survivor told police that she is a resident of Vehari and had come to Rawalpindi nine years ago with her father for labour work. She earned a living by selling miswak and resided at Nadeem Hotel in Pirwadhai. Her father later returned to Vehari, while she continued living at the hotel.
She alleged that hotel manager Saeed and Tayyaba confined her in a room and sent an unidentified man who assaulted her. She said she was threatened when she tried to raise an alarm or contact her father.
Repeated Abuse
She further stated that, on the directions of Saeed and Tayyaba, different men were sent to her over time, and she was forcibly assaulted repeatedly. During this period, she became pregnant.
The victim said her daughter was born at Rawalpindi Civil Hospital. When she returned to Pirwadhai with the baby, Tayyaba and Saeed forcibly took the child away and threatened to kill both of them if she raised her voice.
Years of Silence
Out of fear, she did not initiate legal action and made repeated requests to get her child back, but to no avail. She said that when she pleaded again, the hotel manager also assaulted her but still refused to return the child.
She further alleged that the accused prepared a fake stamp document, the details of which she does not know.
Seeking Justice
The victim added that she got married to a man named Mujahid seven months ago, who encouraged her to pursue legal action and bring her daughter back so they could raise her together.
Following the CPO’s notice, a police team under SP Rawal Saad Arshad and DSP City Syed Azhar Shah arrested the suspects and safely recovered the child. Police said further investigation is underway.
Analysis: A System That Failed
This case is a horrifying example of the exploitation of vulnerable women. The victim — a young woman from a poor family, working as a miswak seller, living alone in a hotel — was targeted precisely because she had no one to protect her.
The abuse continued for years. The victim became pregnant, gave birth, and her child was taken from her. She was threatened and assaulted when she tried to speak up. The accused prepared fake documents to cover their tracks.
The system failed her. It took her marriage to a supportive husband — and the CPO taking notice — for justice to begin.
The arrest of the suspects and the recovery of the infant are the first steps. The investigation must determine how many other victims there may be. The hotel must be scrutinised.
For the victim, justice will not undo the years of abuse. But it may help her begin to heal — and raise her daughter in safety.
