Violence Against Women
A woman along with her sister and brother-in-law suffered severe burns after her husband set them ablaze following a squabble on Thursday, May 14 in Jauharabad in district Khushab, Punjab. Naureen Akhtar, the wife of Muhammad Ejaz, was staying over with her sister Parveen Akhtar and her husband Sher Mohammad following an argument with her husband. Mohammad Ejaz followed, and after another fight with Naureen and his in-laws, doused them in petroleum, set them on fire, and locked them in a room.
The victims were taken to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Jauharabad and then to Allied Hospital in Faisalabad due to lack of a burn center. Parveen succumbed to her injuries on her way to Faisalabad, while doctors state Noreen and Sher Mohammad are critical. Police have arrested Mohammad Ejaz.
Meanwhile, a man axed his axed his wife to death with the aid of three others for refusing to sell her property in Ada 83 Puli in Faisalabad on Wednesday, May 13. Jamaat Ali of 280-RB village, Faisalabad, married Iqbal Bibi, 50, 3 months ago and had been hounding her to sell her property. On the day of the incident, Jamaat Ali along with his brother Shamoon quarreled with Iqbal Bibi. Upon her refusal, Jamaat Ali axed his wife to death while Shamoon held her down, according to the deceased’s brother, Zulfiqar Ali.
Two others, Ashraf and Waris Khan, were also allegedly present during the incident, per Zulfiqar Ali’s complaint. Police are on the lookout for the suspects.
Child Pornographer Released
The Lahore High Court granted bail to Saadat Amin of Sargodha, who was convicted of peddling child porn online as part of an international child porn ring on the complaint of the Norwegian Embassy in 2017. Saadat Amin had been found guilty under section 22 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 and was sentenced to 7 years in imprisonment and fined Rs. 1.2 million on April 26, 2018.
More than 650,000 pornographic images and videos of children believed to be aged 10-12 years were discovered in Amin’s possession. The Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime cell had produced 11 witnesses against Amin during his 2018 conviction. Saadat’s counsel argued that the investigation was faulty and that the money Saadat received was not paid for the pornographic material of children he produced.
The Lahore High Court on Thursday, May 14 suspended Saadat’s sentence and granted him bail on submission of two surety bonds worth Rs. 200,000 each.
Students Not To Be Expelled
Private schools cannot expel students unable to pay dues, ordered the Sindh High Court after suspending the Sindh government notification to private schools to reduce fees amidst the lockdown situation. The court was approached by the provincial government to provide clarification on the orders as parents expressed concerns that their children may be expelled over non-payment of school fees.
