Firdous Ashiq refutes allegations of mistreating domestic staff

ISLAMABAD: Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan has vehemently refuted allegations of mistreating her domestic staff, dismissing them as “baseless”.

The rebuttal comes in response to a video that surfaced on social media, showing Awan engaged in a heated argument with unidentified individuals. In the video, an unseen man can be heard accusing her of slapping someone.

In her defense, Awan stated, “I slapped because they lied.”

Moreover, the video also captures Awan verbally confronting the individuals in Punjabi, threatening to involve the police and demanding a payment of Rs70,000.

Following the video’s circulation, media outlets reported on alleged mistreatment of her domestic staff by the IPP leader.

Refuting these reports, Awan took to social media to assert that the individuals involved in the altercation were a “criminal group of three, who work as domestic servants and escaped after committing thefts.”

براہ کرم ایسے بے بنیاد الزامات لگانے سے گریز کریں، کسی قسم کا کوئی تشدد نہیں ہوا۔

یہ ایک جرائم پیشہ گروہ تھاجو 3 کے گروپ میں گھروں میں کام کرتے ہیں اور چوریاں کرکے فرار ہوجاتے ہیں، انکو ہم نے رنگے ہاتھوں پکڑا۔ انکے خلاف اسلام آباد تھانے میں درخواست جمع کروادی ہے۔

درخواست کے… https://t.co/dvtzCwIcgE

— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) August 5, 2023

According to her claims, she had apprehended the group in the act and subsequently lodged a complaint with the police in Islamabad.

Awan further alleged that an FIR had been previously filed against these individuals for theft, suggesting their criminal background.

Amid the controversy, Awan urged the media to take version of events before engaging in “speculation.”

The incident has come to light approximately ten days after another high-profile case of alleged torture on a minor housemaid by her employers emerged in Islamabad. The 13-year-old girl was reportedly working at the residence of a judge, and an FIR has been lodged against the judge’s wife in relation to the incident.