November 7, 2024
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
A young man in Sahiwal has been arrested for forcibly pouring acid down the throat of a teenage girl after her family rejected his marriage proposal. The 16-year-old victim is in critical condition at a state hospital.
According to the first information report (FIR) registered with the Farid Town police station, complainant Muhammad Latif, the girl’s father, said that the accused Usman, lived in his neighbourhood, and wanted to marry his eldest daughter, but they had rejected his proposal. He added that a couple of days ago, Usman barged into his house and tried to hand his daughter a cell phone, but she had refused to accept it.
On November 4, the suspect sneaked into their house where the eldest and youngest daughters were present while other family members were away, the girl’s father told police.
“Usman grabbed my eldest daughter and forcibly made her drink acid which he had brought with him in a bottle,” he said. The complainant said that the girl Kausar was badly injured, while the suspect fled immediately.
The family called the police and Rescue 1122 whose teams arrived and shifted the girl to hospital. The teen victim was being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital for critical damage to her alimentary canal, kidneys and acid burns to her neck and lips.
Police said the suspect was arrested late at night and charged with committing offences under sections 324 (relating to premeditated murder attempt) and 336 (relating to punishment for hurt by corrosive substance) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Later, Hina Parvez Butt, chairperson of the Punjab Women Protection Authority, inquired after the girl at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital. Hina Butt assured the girl’s family that they would be given justice. She said the Punjab government’s commitment to end violence and exploitation of women remained unwavering. She also visited the office of the District Police Officer (DPO) and met with the families of women survivors of violence and exploitation. She emphasised that the safety of women and children is a top priority for the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.