Islamic man arrested for burying newborn daughter alive because she was "physically deformed"

.

Pakistani police arrested a man accused of burying his newborn daughter alive because she was physically deformed, officials
said Saturday.

The shocking incident illustrates the sometimes extreme prejudices in Pakistan against children, especially girls that
are born with any type of physical deformities. They are often seen as shameful for the family, especially in the
rural, poorer parts of the country where they are viewed as a drain on the family.

Mohammed Anwar, a police officer in the city of Khanewal in the eastern Punjab province, said the child was born
Thursday at a hospital in the nearby town of Kacha Khoh.

After seeing his newborn daughter, the father told relatives that the baby was born dead and organized a funeral service,
said Shamshad Khalid, the town's police chief.

Khan, who has four other children, did not tell his wife about his plans to get rid of the child, the police chief
said, adding that the wife was still at the hospital when the baby was buried.

Mohammed Farooq, a doctor at al-Shifa hospital in Kacha Khoh, said he had seen the child after her birth. He said
she was healthy and alive but had a fairly large head and "abnormal" features.

[link to www.usatoday.com]

.