Pastor Salim and Saleema Case

Pastor Arther Salim resident of Wandalla Junction, Shadara Lahore was arrested by the police charged for kidnapping a Muslim girl named Raheela. According to his wife Hamida the whole thing started when four five months back Raheela started coming to their house. She used to come with her Christian friend Saleema.  Pastor Saleem had been living in that village for the past twelve years. Pastor Saleem used to hold prayer meetings at his house on Sunday at first both the girls started coming on every Sunday but as the association developed with the family Raheela and Saleema started coming occasionally.  Pastor Saleem asked his wife Hamida to forbid Saleema to bring Raheela to their house as she is a Muslim her family might put allegation on them that they are converting their daughter, Hamida talked to Saleema and asked her not to bring any Muslim girl to their house.  After this Raheela stopped coming to their house whereas Saleema continued attending the Sunday prayer meetings.  Saleema told Hamida (wife of Pastor Salim) that Raheela's parents do not let Raheela come to her house.

On 19.06.97 early morning at 5:00 am Raheela knocked at the door which was opened by Pastor Saleem himself he let Raheela in the house meanwhile his wife Hamida also came they asked Raheela why she has come at this time Raheela said that she had a fight with her parents and she has now left her house and would not go back.  According to Mrs. Hamida Salim they refused to keep her in their house after which she only stayed for 15 minutes.  The same day Raheela's brother came to their house at 9:00 am and asked about Raheela and Saleema.  Again at 11:00 am Raheela's mother and her brother came to their house and forcibly searched their house when they did not find the girls they left but came again and they kept coming to their house after an hour or so. In the evening police came to their house Saleema the Christian friend of Raheela was also with them.  Police searched the house and when did not find anything they left taking Saleema with them.  After the police left Pastor Salim went to Raheela's house her brothers asked questions about their sister, they made him sit and did not let him go till mid night they asked him to come again in the morning at 8:00. The next day 20.06.97 when the Pastor went to their house they asked him the same questions and threatened him of dire consequences.

Pastor alim came home in the afternoon but in the evening Raheela's brothers called him on the phone and asked him to come to their place.  Mrs. Hamida Salim said that Pastor Sahib only went to make them believe that he is not involved in the kidnapping of their girl.
 
 
 
 

At 7:00 pm Pastor Salim went and did not come home the whole night, the next day also passed but he did not return home. For two days Pastor Salim was kept in illegal detention of Raheela's brother who not only kept him hungry for two days but also physically tortured him.  On the third day 23.06.97 they handed Pastor Salim over to the police after registering a case against him and his elder son Robin.  On the same day at 12:00 in the noon police came to their house looking for Robin but as Robin was not at home they took all the female members present at home to the police station. The whole night they made the female sit in the veranda and kept them under investigating.  On 24.06.97 Mrs. Hamida Salim brother came to CLAAS and informed the office of all the situation.  In the afternoon Mr. Abdul Wahid from CLAAS and Mr. Mehboob Khan from HRCP went to the police station while they were still in the police station Robin also came he was immediately put in the lock up and the female were released.  In the evening members of CLAAS and HRCP went to the police station to see Pastor Salim and his son Robin. Both father and son were tortured, Pastor Salim was so brutally tortured that he could not even stand on his feet.  On 27 June 1997 CLAAS filed a petition in the Lahore High Court for the bailiff. Pastor Salim was produced in the court on 30th June 1997 where he stated that he was not tortured in the police station, on his statement the petition was dismissed by the court.  Later Pastor Salim had a written compromise with Raheela's family after which he was released by the police on 4th July 1997.  On 8th July 1997 news came in the daily newspaper that Raheela has been shot dead by her brother Altaf alias Bholla who after shooting Raheela presented himself before the police.  The Christian girl Saleema is still in jail. On 14th July 1997. 
A female member of CLAAS went to Sheikhupura jail to meet her.  She told the team that she has given severe torture in the jail, red chillie powder was inserted into her vagina which is severely damaged and she was severely beaten with leather belt and hose pipes with her clothes off she also accused four policemen of assaulting her and burning sensitive parts of her body with hot iron rod and cigarette butts.

Two days after CLAAS met Saleema in the jail we received information through telephone that Saleema has been murdered in the jail this news was confirmed by Saleema's uncle who came to us for further information, this rumor was spread by Raheela's family.  After investigation we were confirmed that Saleema is alive but there was a chance that she might be killed as she disclosed the name of four police personnel who raped her during investigation.  CLAAS filed a petition in the court for bail application, the court has allowed her bail against the surety of rupees fifty thousand.  She was bailed out on 07.08.97.
 
 
 

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M. Joseph Francis
Coordinator CLAAS