Acid attack survivor gang-raped in Layyah

CM Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered the provincial police chief to arrest the culprits

LAHORE/ LAYYAH: A married woman, who had lost her eyesight in a 2002 acid attack, was allegedly gang-raped in the southern Punjab district of Layyah, police said on Saturday.

Muhammad Younus, a neighbour of the 35-year-old victim, allegedly sexually assaulted her at his residence along with two friends, Saleem and Khalid, according to DSP Saddar Akram Niazi.

Younus had met the victim at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) Kot Sultan, where she had gone for the medical checkup of her 12-year-old daughter. Younus lured her to his house, saying that he had Rs3,000 in Zakat donation for her.



Since it was the Friday prayer break at the hospital, the woman went to Younus’s place along with her daughter to collect the money. However, when she reached there, she was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse.

Police said the woman – a mother of four and wife of a day labourer – belongs to a poor family, which has been receiving financial assistance and charity from the alleged rapist.

The family told The Express Tribune that the alleged rapist and his accomplices first tied up the victim and her daughter before sexually assaulting her in a separate room. The victim said Younus also threatened her that he would also rape her daughter if she disclosed what had happened to her.

Police registered an FIR under Section 376 (rape) and 496-A (enticement to have illicit intercourse) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Younus and his accomplices.



SHO Kot Sultan police station Shahid Rizwan told The Express Tribune that they have detained two of the alleged rapists, Younus and Khalid, in raids. He added that the victim was medically examined at the THQ to establish rape.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered the provincial police chief to arrest the culprits and submit a progress report within 24 hours.

The victim had lost eyesight in 2002 when her cousin threw acid on her after she rejected his marriage proposal. The accused was convicted for the attack and was released after six years in jail when both parties reached reconciliation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2016.