A nine-month-old Pakistani baby has been charged with attempted murder along with his father and grandfather. Relatives of the child have taken him into hiding.
The charge was made after a mob of Pakistanis protesting against gas cuts and price increase stoned police and gas company workers trying to collect overdue bills. Baby Musa Khan, along with his father and grandfather, was also present in the mob.
"Police are vindictive. Now they are trying to settle the issue on personal grounds, that's why I sent my grandson to Faisalabad for protection," the baby's grandfather, Muhammad Yasin, told Reuters.
A victim of the assault complained that the whole Khan family had beaten him up. The complaint was taken literally, showcasing Pakistan's dysfunctional criminal justice system. Musa appeared in court in the city of Lahore last week and was granted bail. He is due to appear at the next hearing on April 12 but Yasin said he was not sure if he would take him to court for the case.
According to an NBC News report, Musa cried when his fingerprints were taken and was later photographed sipping on a milk bottle. He even tried to pull reporters' microphones when his father was speaking to the media.
According to the FIR (First Information Report), registered on Feb. 1, Musa "attacked" the staff of a state-run gas company when they raided his home in Muslim Town. The FIR said he was also involved in pelting police officials with stones and tried to kill them, according to Pakistan's official website.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has reportedly ordered the suspension of the officer who registered the case against the baby. However, the family wants to take no chances and put the child on the lam.
"The police filed a wrong, false arrest charge sheet and brought this innocent 9-month-old into this court room for an appearance," the family's lawyer, Irfan Tarar said, according to CNN.
Last year, a survey by Transparency International, a global non-governmental body which studies bribery and corrupt practices around the world, ruled Pakistan as having the most corrupt police. 86 percent of the police departments across the country are engaged in corruption, followed by 84 percent political parties, 76 per cent in the parliament, 66 per cent of medical services and judiciary, 64 per cent involved in education and the NGOs with 62 per cent.
