Couple held in jail over child maid torture death

A couple in Pakistan accused of torturing their seven-year-old maid to death will be held in jail for two weeks while police arrange a polygraph.

Hospital staff in Rawalpindi alerted police at the end of May after the couple brought the injured girl, Zahra, for treatment.

She died a day later.

It is illegal to employ anyone under 15 in Pakistan but it remains common.

The case has prompted anger and made national headlines.

The accused couple have not commented publicly.

Pakistan’s human rights minister promised to amend the laws to curb the practice of employing child workers.

Critics say too little has been done to enforce laws already in place.