Islamabad: The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) has conducted an in-camera hearing into the alleged harassment of a girl at Westminster School in Islamabad, ARY News reported.
The girl’s parents met NCRC Chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq and provided a detailed account of the alleged incident and their concerns.
Given the sensitive and high-profile nature of the case, the commission heard the parents and school administration separately.
Farooq confirmed that the NCRC had received a complaint concerning the school and said both sides had presented their positions. She said the commission would complete its inquiry and prepare a report.
The NCRC chairperson clarified that imposing punishment was not within the commission’s mandate. Instead, its recommendations would be forwarded to the relevant authorities, which would take any necessary action in accordance with the law.
She said the commission was examining the applicable child protection laws and broader protection system and was also engaging with schools in Islamabad.
According to Farooq, the school administration presented CCTV footage and other documents to the commission as part of its response to the allegations.
She said the parents had been heard in detail and stressed that all their concerns should be addressed promptly.
Westminster School CEO Raheel Sajjad said incidents involving children could not be tolerated and called for a transparent investigation into the matter.
Farooq also expressed concern over what she described as a recent increase in incidents involving children and said further investigation into the Westminster School case would be conducted before the commission finalised its findings.