In a shocking turn of events, a madrasa teacher in Karachi’s Manghopir area has been granted bail despite allegedly beating a six-year-old student to death. The incident, which has sparked widespread outrage, highlights deep-seated issues in Pakistan’s religious education system.
Local media reports revealed that the young boy succumbed to severe head injuries after the brutal assault. According to the police report, the teacher struck the child on the head with a stick, causing a skull fracture that proved fatal in the hospital.
The child’s uncle recounted how the teacher tried to justify the violence, claiming the boy was ‘mischievous’ and deserved the punishment. This defense has drawn sharp criticism, with many questioning how such extreme measures can be excused under the guise of discipline.
Pakistan’s Express Tribune published a scathing editorial on the matter, pointing out the systemic rot that allows such atrocities. ‘When a skull fracture is dismissed as a response to mischief, it exposes the deep decay within the system,’ the paper noted. The outlet also referenced similar past incidents in Karachi, where teachers have faced accusations of excessive corporal punishment and even sexual abuse.
These cases often come to light only after viral social media videos or when children arrive at hospitals with life-threatening injuries. The pattern underscores a disturbing normalization of violence in some educational institutions, where parental trust is exploited.
Manghopir police station’s SHO has promised efforts to re-arrest the teacher and add murder charges to the case. However, critics argue this reactive approach only activates after irreversible harm and media spotlight, calling for urgent reforms to protect vulnerable children.
As public fury grows, this tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the need for stricter oversight in madrasas and an end to brutal ‘discipline’ practices that claim young lives.