FAISALABAD / BAHAWALPUR: Two women were attacked with acid in separate incidents on Wednesday.
Police said Saima Bibi*, a resident of New Garden Town, had exchanged angry words with her husband over a domestic matter. Her husband and his brother then attacked her with acid.
Saima Bibi received burns and was taken to Allied Hospital.
Dr Umar Daraz, on duty at the Emergency Ward,said Saima Bibi had received serious burns on her back, shoulders and arms. He said they were providing her intensive treatment but her condition was critical.
Naseer Ahmad, a neighbour, said Saima Bibi had six children and was a school teacher. He said Saima Bibi was the sole bread winner and often used to argue with her husband over finances.
He said Saima Bibi had come home from school and got into an altercation with her husband. He got angry and he and his brother attacked her with acid. The men then fled.
Ahmad said neighbours gathered at their house after hearing Saima Bibi’s screams and took her to a hospital.
Raza Abad SHO Asim Rasheed said the police have registered a case against the men.
City Police Officer Dr Haidar Ashraf has formed two teams – one under Gulberg Deputy Superintendent Police Asadur Rahman and the other under Raza Abad SHO Asim Rasheed – to catch the culprits in 48 hours.
A 17-year-old was attacked with acid allegedly during a rape attempt. Police have arrested one of the suspects.
The girl’s father, a resident of Chak 104P near Rahim Yar Khan, told police that one of their neighbours used to call his daughter and would threaten her. He said his daughter had told him about the phone calls so he had visited the boy’s parents and complained to them.
He said on Tuesday night, his daughter had gone to the washroom when the boy and one of his friends overpowered her and tried to rape her. He said his daughter raised hue and cry and the boy threw acid at her and fled. He said he took his daughter to a hospital. Doctors said her face and neck had been badly burned and she was in a critical condition. Police registered a case against the two boys and arrested the neighbour. They are looking for his friend.
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITY
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2014.