A 9-month-old Pakistani boy will not be going to prison on attempted murder charges.
The baby, Musa Khan, became the focus of international attention in recent days when the local police took the unusual step of charging him along with four adults in connection with a violent protest in Lahore in February.
Critics say the charges reflected the tendency of the Pakistani police to lodge exaggerated complaints against poor families.
On Saturday, though, the police withdrew the charges against Musa, the baby’s lawyer, Irfan Tarar, told The Associated Press.
The case against the baby led to widespread ridicule being heaped against the Pakistani legal system, particularly after little Musa was photographed crying while being fingerprinted — and he then had to be comforted with a bottle of milk. His family subsequently moved him out of Lahore to Faisalabad, citing safety reasons.
Musa, along with his father and grandfather, was accused of being part of a group of slum residents who threw stones at gas company workers as they tried to disconnect gas service from homes where the owners had not paid their bills.
The outcry over the charges led Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab Province and the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to order an inquiry into the matter.
Musa’s lawyer, Mr. Tarar, had argued that children under 7 years old cannot be prosecuted under Pakistani law.
Musa had been free on bail pending Saturday’s hearing, during which the judge allowed for the dismissal of the case against him.
NYTimes
No comments:
Post a Comment