Latest news with #Shahzadi
AFP
22-05-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Footage of assault predates latest India-Pakistan conflict
"A Pakistani woman asked for proof of the strikes on India. In response, Pakistani men beat her and tore her clothes," reads a Hindi-language X post shared May 14, 2025. The video attached to the post, which has more than 760,000 views, appears to show a group of men hitting a woman as they drag her towards a parked vehicle. Image Screenshot of the false X post captured May 19, 2025 The video circulated days after New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to a ceasefire, bringing a halt to four days of intense fighting that left more than 70 people dead on both sides (archived link). The fighting, the worst between the neighbours in decades, came two weeks after an attack that killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing. Pakistan firmly denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation. But the circulating video, which also spread in similar Facebook and Instagram posts, predates the latest conflict between the arch-rivals. A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same footage posted April 24 by Pakistani news outlet Daily Taas on Facebook (archived link). Its Urdu-language caption reads in part: "Influential men in Vehari assaulted a transgender woman, Shahzad alias Shahzadi, and tried to force her into a car after she rejected their advances. They fled after she resisted and screamed, prompting them to open fire. A case was registered at Daniwal police station." Vehari is a town in Pakistan's Punjab province. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (L) and the video posted by Daily Taas Daily Taas included a copy of the in a comment to the post. The victim said they were drinking tea at a hotel on April 23 when several cars, including the white vehicle shown in the video, pulled up. "The men inside tried to force me to go with them. They assaulted me and attempted to drag me into the car. One of them threatened me, saying, 'Befriend me, or we will deal with you." AFP confirmed with local police that the victim's statement included in the Facebook post is genuine. Vehari police official Farazul Haq also "Five people were arrested on April 23, and two of them have been sent to jail on charges of attempted kidnapping and ." Local media outlets also covered the incident (archived here and here). AFP has debunked a flurry of misinformation stemming from the conflict between India and Pakistan here.
Arab Times
04-03-2025
- Arab Times
Indian National Hanged in Abu Dhabi for Killing Infant
Abu Dhabi, March 4: – An Indian woman, Shahzadi Khan, 33, from Uttar Pradesh's Banda district, was executed in Abu Dhabi on February 15, 2025, after being convicted of murdering a four-month-old infant in her care. The execution was confirmed to her family on February 28. Khan, who worked as a domestic help, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of killing the baby. Despite legal assistance from the Indian government, including hiring a law firm and submitting mercy petitions, the UAE's Court of Cassation upheld her death sentence. Her father, Shabbir Khan, expressed grief and claimed that the Indian government did not provide sufficient support. However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that all possible legal avenues were pursued. Shahzadi's last rites are scheduled to take place in the UAE on March 5. Government's Response and Family's Allegations The Indian embassy in the UAE was officially informed of the execution on February 28. The MEA clarified that diplomatic efforts were made to seek clemency, but the UAE's legal system upheld the ruling. Meanwhile, Shahzadi's family has criticized the lack of timely information and support. Her father claimed that multiple pleas for assistance went unanswered and that they were not informed about the execution until after it had taken place. The case has sparked discussions about legal aid for Indian nationals abroad and the challenges faced by migrant workers in the Gulf region. The incident occurred on December 7, 2022, following the infant's routine vaccinations. Despite the hospital's recommendation for a postmortem, the parents declined and signed a waiver. In February 2023, a video surfaced allegedly showing Shahzadi confessing to the crime; however, she claimed the confession was coerced through torture by her employer and their family. She was arrested on February 10, 2023, and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. Her appeal in September 2023 was rejected, and the sentence was upheld on February 28, 2024. Shahzadi's father, Shabbir Khan, alleged she was wrongfully implicated to shield the couple from blame. He also accused the Indian Embassy of failing to support his daughter, alleging that the legal counsel pressured her into confessing. The family's legal counsel, Ali Mohammad, described the execution as an "extrajudicial killing in the guise of judicial killing." The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that all possible legal assistance was provided, including hiring a law firm and submitting mercy petitions, but the UAE's legal system upheld the death sentence.
