KARACHI: A sessions court has sentenced a man, who worked at an eatery in a Liaquatabad locality, to more than 26 years in prison in a case pertaining to child sexual abuse.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Mirza Tauseed Ahmed, who is also the presiding officer of the Gender-Based Violence Court Central, found Muhammad Afzal, 48, guilty for attempting to rape and sexually abuse a minor girl, who lived in the same locality.

The court pronounced sentences to the convict on two counts; 14 years for sexually abusing and 12 and half years for attempting to commit rape with a minor girl. However, both the sentences will run concurrently, it ruled.

According to state prosecutor Hina Naz Shams, in December 2022, the mother of the victim had gone to a factory for work. Meanwhile, one of her daughters, aged between nine and 11 years, went to buy breakfast from a nearby eatery in Liaquatabad.

During this time, the accused allegedly lured the girl into his house, where he sexually assaulted her and attempted to commit rape. However, as the girl shouted for help, the accused fled the scene. The girl later returned home and shared the incident with her elder sister.

In the verdict, the judge imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the convict. In case of default, he would serve additional imprisonment.

The judge said the accused had not been able to prove his innocence, nor had been able to show any mala fide or enmity on the part of the complainant to book him falsely.

“Although the investigating officer has shown negligence in taking local witnesses, in confirming the work of the accused at the hotel, and has also failed to get the statement of the victim recorded under Section 164 CrPC, however, firstly, the accused himself has admitted that he works at a hotel; secondly, no one usually becomes a witness against a mohalla person; and thirdly, nor-recording of the statement under Section 164 CrPC is only a procedural defect,” the judge wrote in the verdict.

Regarding the defence’s contention about a delay in registration of the FIR, the court observed that the complainant had explained that she was searching for the accused but he did not return to his home after committing the offence.

The judge added: “In the offence of sexual abuse, the parties hesitate to approach police due to honour and stigma which society places upon the victim. In such circumstances, delay usually occurs in reporting the matter. However, such delay is due to natural human conduct and is not considered fatal in sexual abuse cases.”

A case was registered at the Women & Child police station in district Central under Sections 376 (3) (rape against minor), 377-B (sexual abuse) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for a shorter terms) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2026