A 9-year-old girl in Pakistan who was kept as a housemaid was rescued after she was found tortured and in chains in her employers' home, reports said.

The minor girl, identified as Maria Bibi, was found restrained at a house in the city of Faislabad in Pakistan after cops received a report about the incident on their helpline number Wednesday.

Responding officers who raided the house discovered the child was in a terrible state, with several fresh and old wounds and torture marks on her body, Times Now News reported.

The girl was rescued and shifted to a hospital for treatment of her injuries. According to investigators, the house owners who employed the child kept her in chains to prevent her from escaping.

Cops took the suspects, identified as Asif, and his wife, Aliya Bibi into custody. The couple faces multiple charges including cruelty to a child and wrongful confinement, Dawn reported.

The child hailed from a poor family in Jarranwala, a city 24 miles away from Faislabad. Her parents handed her over to the accused more than a year ago to be employed as domestic help for a salary of Rs 2000, or approximately $9, per month.

The suspects reportedly tortured the girl frequently and burnt parts of her body with a hot knife.

Around 3.3 million children in Pakistan are employed as laborers, as per statistics by UNICEF. Child labor deprives them of getting an education and proper healthcare, which eventually leads them into poverty.

In a similar incident reported in 2021, a woman in India was arrested after she allegedly tortured an underage domestic help for failing to finish her work on time. The 25-year-old suspect from Mumbai city reportedly forced the girl to disrobe and beat her with slippers for not working properly. The incident came to light after the minor was hospitalized with head injuries. Cops registered a case against the woman on charges of assault, use of criminal force with intent to disrobe, and intentional insult of a minor.

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